


Minerva's Gift

by orphan_account



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Gen, Mentor/Protégé, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-13
Updated: 2016-05-13
Packaged: 2018-06-08 04:44:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 31
Words: 332,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6839524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Planet claims Cloud, sending him back in time. He must now use the second chance the Planet has given him to change things for Sephiroth and his friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Remnant from the Past

**Author's Note:**

> It is not the destination that is truly important, but all the places you stop on the way there.
> 
> Even though this story is, and will probably never be, completed, it is still a wonderful journey of reading.
> 
> Posted with permission of the original author: Little House in the Woods.
> 
> Please enjoy.

**BANORA, PRESENT DAY**

_The sun hovered protectively over the horizon, casting pale hues of waning light over the fields and orchards of the town of Banora. The Banora White trees twisted and arched beautifully above the lush green grass, their glossy leaves swaying in the early twilight - a simple yet hauntingly beautiful effect. The sounds of life echoed nature's opus, filling the warm country air with vibrant life. A child laughing with abandonment. A harried mother scolding with loving care. A father settling down to read that oh-so-important bedtime story. His keen senses caught it all._

_Genesis Rhapsodos, former SOLDIER 1st Class, sighed with appreciation from his rather precarious perch at the top of his favorite Banora White. As he plucked one ripe apple and raised it to his lips, he couldn't help but think that they had been damned lucky. He and his friends, once Shinra's fighting elite, had nearly fallen from grace, their descent into madness and death all but assured by the paths chosen by each a forgotten lifetime before._

_But, they hadn't, Genesis reminded himself. They had each pulled themselves, and each other, back from the brink of self-destruction. Sephiroth had found his natural father, and even now they traveled the Planet, learning about life and love without the shadow of Shinra hanging over them. Sephiroth was slowly coming to learn that the image he projected wasn't nearly as important as who he was on the inside, a lesson that Genesis himself had learned only after the hardest of lessons._

_It was good to see Seph happy, to see him truly smile and know that it was not simply a mask, worn to please those around him. He was happy in a way that he had never believed possible, and Genesis would always be grateful to Vincent Valentine for teaching his son that life was to be lived, not merely endured._

_Angeal, on the other hand, was still fighting, but not for their former employers. He was in Gongaga with Zack, teaching the puppy the importance of honor in swordplay, always the idealistic mentor. Angeal still returned to Banora to visit his mother and his best friend, but he had made his home in the small jungle settlement of his prize student. Luckily, Gongaga was close enough to Banora that he was able to visit his hometown on a regular basis, forestalling any worries his loved ones might have had on his behalf._

_And then, there was Cloud..._

_Genesis shook his head as he thought of his own unusual student, the young boy with the impossibly spiky blond hair, who had reached out to three damaged heroes and helped them heal, in his own unique way. Genesis had mourned Cloud's loss so many years ago, had grieved along with his friends, only to receive the news that Cloud had survived the impossible. The Goddess had returned the boy—the man—to them, which had been a true miracle, and had only bolstered Genesis' belief in the deity he had chosen to serve._

_He allowed himself a small, nasty smirk as he thought of the ones who hadn't been so lucky, and bit into his apple. Professor Hojo had been one of the fallen and good riddance to him! He had more than earned his slow, rather painful death, and not even Angeal would deny that, had Genesis ever bothered to ask. He knew his best friend well enough that there was no need for words. Hojo had gotten exactly what he deserved, and so had the monster he had used to destroy so many lives._

_But that was neither here or there, Genesis told himself firmly. The past was exactly that, and the future showed a promise none of them had ever expected, in light of everything that befallen them. Shrina, Jenova, Hojo, Hollander. . .none of them meant a damned thing. They were puppet masters whose strings had been cut long ago._

_Shinra Electric Power Company was no longer siphoning mako from a sick planet to earn a fortune in gil. Instead, they were researching alternative methods for harnessing energy, and Genesis had to admit that he was impressed with what young Rufus was doing with the once-hated company. The boy had become a man who was determined to make the world a better place, and Genesis was more than happy to applaud his efforts from the sidelines, so long as he did not have to take part in it._

_Long gone was his need for critical acclaim, his desire to be a hero. Genesis was content to remain here in Banora, caring for his father's fields, and living a life that he would have found mind-numbingly boring only a few short years before._ No, _he thought as his azure eyes swept lovingly over the landscape of his hometown,_ I am more than content. I am. . .happy.

_And it all could have been so different. He knew it without a doubt. He had nearly sacrificed himself, and the others, on the pyre of his rage and hatred. Without the support and caring of a certain level-headed young SOLDIER, he and his friends might very well have chosen differently, and damned The Planet they loved in the process._

_Genesis leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes, remembering the day it had all began, drawn back into a past he had sworn never again to revisit._

 

 

**Chapter One - Remnant from the Past**

_Outskirts of Kalm - εуλ 0010, 8 months after the Deepground incident_

"Well, this is it…" Cloud Strife murmured, as he pulled into the winding driveway and brought his motorbike to a halt.

As he slid his key out of the ignition and eased his booted feet off the pedals, he leaned over his shoulder to double check that the box was in the compartment where his assistant had said she had placed it; to his relief, the box was there.

"Thank the gods," he whispered, his fingers closing around the box. "For a moment, I was afraid that she'd left it on my desk."

_Now…let's get on with business…_

Cloud walked swiftly up the driveway. As he approached the ancient looking house, he glanced about, hoping to get a feel for the people who lived here, but to his disappointment, there were very few clues for him to go on. The worn-looking clotheslines, green-colored lawnmower and garden hose sitting in the plain-looking front yard told him very little about the inhabitants. All he could infer was that they were very simple folks who…

… _do not have young children,_ he blinked, surprised to find that there were no toys or play equipment in the yard. _I was certain though that there were…_

He arched his eyebrows as he looked down at the label on the package, which indicated that the delivery was for _Mrs. Williams and her Kids._

_Hmm. Perhaps the kids have grown up and gone away to school,_ he dryly thought, as he rapped on the flimsy wooden door and grey pieces of paint chipped off, flaking on his fist and spilling all over the ground. _I guess I'll find out when I deal with the residents._

Cloud smiled and held up the box so that Mrs. Williams would realize that he was here on business, and was not a salesman trying to sell her something. "Mrs. Williams, I have a package for you," he civilly said. "It's the order that you filled with Strife Delivery Services and –"

"An order you say?" the woman inside the house asked, perplexed.

"Yes, I have an order for 'Mrs. Williams and her Kids,'" Cloud said uncertainly, as he began to wonder if he had made a mistake and driven to the wrong address. "Are you…Mrs. Williams…?"

He trailed off, as the front door swung open.

"Yes, I am Mrs. Williams," the woman abrasively informed him, as she emerged and stepped onto the wooden deck, "but I don't recall ordering a package."

She leaned over Cloud's arm, drawing close to read the label on the package.

"It is as I thought," she sighed, annoyance flitting across her face, "and from now on I am not going to hold any mail for him."

She glared fiercely at Cloud.

"I told him that he needed to quit having his stuff delivered to my house. I am sick of having him send his things to my place, then pay my kids to carry his mail up the cliff. We are not a mail drop service."

Cloud blinked, caught off guard by her anger. "I beg your pardon?" he asked politely.

The woman continued her tirade. "I don't know who he thinks he is," she scowled. "He has enough money to rent a mailbox in town and it is bullshit that he can't come down from the cliff himself to pick up his own mail. He's being ridiculous, going through intermediaries, instead of picking up his own mail."

"Who is…?"

The woman pointed to the trim cliffs looming over her house. "He lives up there," she said. "Showed up about five months ago and he has been there ever since.

"I wasn't too thrilled when he showed up," the woman continued, as she lit a cigarette. "We've had trouble with vagrants around here in the past and the last thing I needed was a homeless person living in my yard."

"Homeless?"

"Yeah," she coughed. "The first time I saw him, I thought he was homeless, 'cause he was lugging a tent around and his coat was in tatters, all slashed up…had this big gaping hole in the back that looked really ugly, so I told him that we didn't need his kind around here and that if he started panhandling, I was going to call the authorities, and he could panhandle from a jail cell, but as you can see, things didn't go as planned."

Cloud rolled his eyes. "You obviously didn't send the man to jail?"

"No, I didn't," Mrs. Williams snorted, distractedly fanning the thick smoke in Cloud's direction. "When I threatened him, he said that he wasn't homeless and that he just wanted to spend some time up here, meditating in the middle of nature."

"And?"

"I chewed him out," she sneered. "Told him he didn't look like a naturalist to me, and asked him what kind of trouble he was into…and that is when he showed me a fist full of dollars and said that he had money. Then he told me that he didn't come here to create trouble and that I could have his money if he could have his things sent to my house and someone could deliver them to him up the cliffs."

"I can't believe that I agreed to it," she said, "and I can't believe that he made such an outrageous request. The entire thing was ridiculous, but….I said yes, because…."

She turned to Cloud, looking at him fixedly.

"He said that he had painful memories from the war with Wutai and needed to come to terms with himself, and I could sort of relate, because my husband was an emergency response worker who helped those on the front line and he saw all sorts of awful things, but…this has gone on long enough."

She put her hands on her hips.

"I can understand where you are coming from," Cloud stiffly said.

Mrs. Williams gazed at him long and hard. "Do you know anyone who fought in Wutai?" she asked.

Cloud took a deep breath and stiffened. "Yeah," he lied, not caring to tell her that the two Wutaian veterans he had known were dead.

_Zack got his guts blown out defending me as I lay comatose alongside the road and Sephiroth turned into a psychopath and tried to destroy the Planet,_ he miserably thought, as Mrs. Williams latched onto his words and said, "I'm sure you must be proud of them?"

"Yeah." Cloud nodded sadly, as he recalled how Zack had brightened his days with his smiles, and Sephiroth had inspired him with his heroic feats. "I guess," he mumbled.

"What did you admire about them?" she pressed him for answers. "I admired my husband's quiet strength," he heard her say, as he closed his eyes – trying to suppress the memories that were bubbling up inside of him. "At the end of his life he had it quite rough, but he –"

"Mrs. Williams," Cloud interjected, "these questions are getting a bit personal. If you don't mind..."

"I see," Mrs. Williams tersely said.

~************~

Two minutes of silence passed.

Mrs. Williams stood on the deck, gazing off into the distance, and Cloud was all but certain that he had offended her, until she tossed her cigarette butt on the ground, crushed it beneath her shoe and dryly suggested that they talk about other things. "Like politics," she proposed.

"Or your package." Cloud quickly said, before the conversation could take another personal turn. "What do you want me to do with it?"

The woman sneered as his words reminded her that they had an irritating homeless person to deal with. "Whatever, I don't care," she growled. "It's not mine. You can send the package back. I don't want it."

"How long does it normally take your kids to climb up the cliffs?" Cloud asked.

"About thirty minutes," she coldly said, as Cloud debated whether he should scale the cliffs and deliver the package to the homeless man or leave it with Mrs. Williams.

"What is the name of the man who lives up in the cliffs?" Strife softly inquired.

Mrs. Williams shrugged. "You will have to ask him what his name is," she wearily replied. "He's never told me his real name. He told us to call him Raven."

_Raven?_ Cloud blinked.

"Yeah, I know, I don't get the nickname either," she rolled her eyes. "I thought at first that the nickname might have something to do with his hair – and that it might be all black and raven-colored, but…then he took off his hat, and I saw that it was well…more like…like all the sand in my driveway."

Cloud nodded quietly and gazed long and hard at the red-colored sand. _That is an unusual color,_ he mused, as he turned to the elderly woman said, "I think that it'd be best if I left now; it's getting late, and I have a package to deliver."

Mrs. Williams folded her arms. "I hope it is not to this house," she warned him.

Cloud shook his head. "No, it isn't. I plan on going up the cliff and delivering it to him. I'll make sure that he gets it and if I see him, I'll have a talk with him about how inconvenient the whole arrangement for you is. We'll talk about some other options and I'll see what I can do to get him set up with a mailbox or something…how does that sound?"

Mrs. William's eyes sparkled with delight at the offer, but she tried to wheel in her enthusiasm so Cloud would not see her glee.

"That is very kind of you to offer, young man," she said, "and I hope that it is not too inconvenient for you? It's getting late to be climbing up cliffs and I'm sure that you have other packages to deliver unless…he is your last delivery of the day?"

"Yes," Cloud grumbled, seeing right through her insincerity, "it is my last delivery of the day, and no, it's not too inconvenient. I need the exercise."

Based on the great physical condition of his body, she doubted he needed the exercise.

"Oh well, in that case, _thank you!"_ Mrs. Williams said, and with that, she promptly shut the door and retreated to the window to watch him and make sure that he really was going to head up the cliffs like he promised and not leave the package in her driveway.

She had no need to worry – Cloud Strife always kept his word.

The climb up the cliffs turned out to be far more unpleasant than Cloud expected. Ten minutes into the climb, he was thinking Raven needed to have his kneecaps broken for subjecting people to this awful ascent.

_This is stupid,_ he seethed, as he stopped to rest _._

He shook his head, finding that it made no sense that someone who was physically fit enough to drag a _tent_ up the cliff could not make the journey down the cliff to fetch their own mail.

_I suppose I can relate,_ Cloud thought, trying to empathize with Raven being a traumatized soldier who kept to himself after the horrors of the Wutai war, but still…Mrs. Williams was right about this being _bullshit_ when the man needed to get his own mail and needed to be able to function in society.

_I wonder what this man will be like,_ Cloud mused.

_Very different from Zack, that's for sure…_

_Zack never would have shut himself away from people and he would have looked for the good in life and tried to find reasons to keep…_

Cloud laughed dryly. Who was he fooling?

Very few people had such an optimistic outlook on life.

And Sephiroth, when he had tried to destroy the world, sure as hell had not.

~************~

Cloud continued up the trail, pausing to check for signs that someone lived up on the cliffs. As he climbed higher, he found…

…a shoe print…a tin soup can sunk into the water with stones…and a spot where the former soldier had marked a foothold for climbing down the cliffs.

"Onwards we go," Cloud wearily said, as he examined the footholds and found nothing of interest.

~************~

Strife covered the foothold marks back up and went on his way.

Had he been thinking fully, Cloud would have gone back down the trail to retrieve a weapon of his own from his Fenrir motorbike… but he was tired and could not bring himself to go back down.

Thinking about Zack and being asked those questions by Mrs. Williams had made Cloud realize how emotionally drained he was. And as he gazed now at the sheer, rocky cliff wall, he thought of the long, steep years yet to come, and found himself wondering how he would get through them when the purpose of his life had been achieved the day that he had struck down Sephiroth.

"Cloud Strife," he said out loud, "what do you have left to live for?"

He paused, waiting for someone to answer, and when no one did, he supplied the answer himself.

"I don't know. You saved the world from Sephiroth, what more do you have left to achieve."

And with that dark thought in mind, he continued up the cliff – almost to the top now.

~************~

At the top of the cliff, Cloud found what he was looking for.

Inside a hollowed out growth of bushes, he stumbled upon the nest.

Scattered throughout the bushes were some rocks…flint and cooking tools…a decaying, yellow piece of tarp…leaves piled up to make a bed and…a pair of thick black shoulder epaulettes with riveted silver studs bordering the edges.

~************~

Cloud cautiously lifted the epaulettes from the leaves, examining them, but there were no marks or labels on the shoulder pads to indicate what squadron the war-weary eccentric had belonged to and there were no nametags.

"Well," Cloud murmured, as he turned them over in his hand, "this isn't very helpful."

He put the epaulettes down, realizing that he now had to decide what to do with Raven's mail.

His first thought was to stuff the package in with the leaves, but he quickly reconsidered the idea, because it felt intrusive to place the box in Raven's resting place and there was a strong chance that the box would get lost in the leaves and Raven would not even notice that he had delivered it.

The best thing to do, Cloud decided, would be to leave the package by the cooking utensils with a note that said that Mrs. Williams no longer wanted packages in her name sent to her place. _He is bound to notice it when he comes home to eat,_ Cloud thought. _I'll just write that…_

The blond-haired swordsman bent over to put the package down, but as he did, a clipped voice cut through the air, causing him to freeze in his tracks.

"Are you done touching my things?" the hostile voice demanded to know.

~************~

Cloud slowly turned around and saw that there was a man leaning against a tree in the thick growth. He gritted his teeth and tried to make out the man's features, but the shadows obscured the details.

"I take it that you are Raven?" Cloud asked, as he rose swiftly to his feet.

The man cautiously nodded. "I go….by that name," he smoothly said, not wanting to show that he was surprised that Cloud should know his nickname. "And you would be…?"

"The Delivery Service," Cloud tensely said, wishing Raven would come out from the shadows.

Raven snorted. "I doubt that your name is Delivery Service."

"You're right, my name is not Delivery Service," Cloud drew himself up. "I'm Cloud Strife, the owner of Strife Delivery Services, and I'm here to deliver your order. Mrs. Williams' kids are not available today, so I offered to bring your order up here, and Mrs. Williams gave her permission and said that that was okay and…to be honest with you, she does not want to send her kids up here anymore or hold your mail. "

"I see." The outcast man stiffened. "Well…I am not surprised. She never was one hundred percent thrilled with the arrangement. I will just have to make other arrangements. I'll come up with something, don't worry."

"What do you have in mind?" Cloud asked.

Raven slid his body down the tree trunk and fumbled for the Firaga materia he had buried amongst the leaves. "Are you offering to help me?" he replied, in a deceptively sweet tone.

"Yes, I can help you if you want," Cloud offered.

"So you say," Raven said, noting that Strife's tone of voice and body language seemed sincere.

_Perhaps he is genuinely here on business,_ the homeless man mused. "If you have a plan of action, spill it," he ordered Cloud, as he slipped the Firaga materia into his pocket. "Otherwise, I will think that –"

"Well, being in the delivery business," Cloud said with intense conviction, "there are options…we can get this all sorted out easily."

"I see," Raven said. "You think this will be easy to sort out?" he growled, finding it very ironic that Cloud's voice was filled with so much confidence when the boy had been a nervous, skittish little rabbit, the last time that they had met.

No, not the last time – the last time that they had met, Cloud had been like one dead, and had not said a word.

It had been his friend, Zack, who had done all the talking, who had been trying to have courage enough for the both of them, and who had been telling them that it would be over soon and everything would be…

"Why don't you come out and talk to me face to face?" Cloud asked, and Raven snarled.

As the blond beckoned to him, he gritted his teeth and adamantly shook his head, knowing that if he agreed to talk to Strife one on one, Cloud would see him, and become so alarmed that he would either make fight with him on the spot or slip away and ring up his Turk buddies, letting them know that he had run into a man who had lost faith in Shinra and opposed them. "I'm afraid," he stubbornly said, as Cloud held out a hand to him, "that I cannot say 'yes' to your request. I am not comfortable dealing with people, sorry. I need a certain amount of personal space."

"Which I'll respect," Cloud said, even though he was far from happy with the refusal. "But you do realize that this has to stop. Making orders in someone else's name is immoral, and you could get in big trouble for it. If she wanted to, Mrs. Williams could…"

Cloud trailed off, frustrated. Surely, his mind rationalized, the outcast man could bring himself to go into town when he wanted to. He had, after all, gone to someone to buy the nice epaulettes that were lying in the leaves.

No, Cloud seethed, Raven had not just walked into a store to pick up those epaulettes, because they were way too nice. He had had them custom made from a tailor and paid an insane amount of gil for the custom work, and if Raven could bring himself to arrange to have his measurements taken by a tailor, he could bring himself to go into town and rent a mailbox. The man was just…

_Oh god!_ Cloud thought. _I've seen those epaulettes before!_

And he kicked back, pushing himself away from the cooking utensils, as he realized that he was alone on the mountain with a monster.

_I am a fool,_ Cloud berated himself, _I should have brought my sword._

_But do I really need my sword_ , he asked himself, as he calmed down. Having a sword to defend himself with would certainly be nice, but…

…Raven was not hurting anyone by living alone up here and now that he knew who he was dealing with, Cloud could understand why Raven refused to go into town or interact with anyone unless it was necessary. Having been the target of a manhunt once, he rationalized, it was likely Raven feared that if someone identified him, the hunt would resume. And with Shinra in shambles after years of conflict, Raven had to be torn in two, wondering where he stood relative to Shinra these days and wondering where his place was in the world.

_His family is dead and there is not really a need for SOLDIERs these days,_ Strife sadly thought, as he considered the situation. _SOLDIER is what he has known most of his life._

_What should I…_

Cloud sighed as he debated whether he should give Reeve a call. He did not like the idea of involving his friends in the WRO, but he felt that he had an obligation to let Reeve know that there was a rogue SOLDIER 1st living up in the cliffs, especially since this particular SOLDIER had been destructive and a public nuisance in the past.

Cloud shook his head. "Once again you have created problems for people, Commander," he murmured, as he reached for his cell phone. "Why don't you come out and face me and we can talk?"

~************~

Cloud watched cautiously as 'Raven' emerged from the shadows and slithered through the growth like an unhindered, unburdened freely flowing current. He raised his arm, preparing to block an attack as the homeless man's stern mako-tinted eyes bore down on him and his crimson colored floor-length coat flapped out menacingly behind.

"SOLDIER 1st Class Genesis," Cloud softly, as his enemy sized him up.

"Strife, what a wonderful surprise!" Genesis coldly returned the greeting, as he stretched out and sat down on a log that concealed several of his strongest materia. "I didn't exactly have in mind receiving a personal visit from you when I placed an order with your delivery service, but things never go as planned when the Mrs. Williams of the world have a change of heart?" He sighed melodramatically. " _'My friend, the fates are cruel.' LOVELESS,_ Act…?"

"I wouldn't know," Cloud flatly said. "I never was a big fan."

"Act IV," Genesis said. "I was hoping that you would know."

"Like I said, not a fan," Cloud replied. "I never read the book and the only time I saw excerpts from the book was after your robots attacked Shinra Headquarters. After you deserted Shinra, they decided to clear out your rooms, and I was one of the people they roped into cleaning out your stuff. We had to carry boxes of your shrine to _LOVELESS_ out to the dumpster."

"I see."

Genesis' eyes narrowed and became slits as Cloud described the destruction of the beloved books.

_Bad move._ Cloud winced and decided that it would be best to quickly change topics. "I didn't enjoy destroying your books," he quickly said, "and I didn't think it was appropriate to destroy someone else's property."

He held up his hands, as he tried to think of something to diffuse the situation.

"You know," he said, in a conversational tone of voice, "it was challenging climbing up here to deliver your mail to you…this is a pretty rough climb. Have you ever scaled cliffs before?"

Genesis shrugged. "I climbed up here, does that count?"

"Yeah," Cloud said, "but I was thinking of cliffs other than this one that you might have climbed…or flew up."

Genesis rolled his eyes. Just where exactly was Strife going with this annoying banter? Was this Strife's attempt at small talk before the big fight?

"Strife," Genesis sneered, "if you did not want to call attention to yourself, what would you do? Would you scale the cliff or fly around it? Based on personal experience, I can say that flying men attract a lot of attention and I would rather not call attention to myself these days. Remember this line from _LOVELESS?_ _'My soul, corrupted by vengeance, hath endured torment to find the end of the journey.'_ Well, I would like to think that after all the torment that I've been through, I've reached the end of my journey, Strife, and earned the right to a long vacation."

The commander fell silent and began to measure the distance between himself and Cloud. If it came to fighting, he wanted to be able to get good force and momentum going should he decide to launch himself at the blond.

"Anyone who's been through what you have been through deserves a vacation," Cloud agreed, "but what happens after the vacation is over or if your vacation is interrupted? What about that part about you achieving salvation and your enemies finding eternal slumber? What then?" He decided to cut straight to the chase. "What do you want, Genesis? Why are you skulking up here…?"

"Why do you want to know? Are you with Shinra?" Genesis sharply interrupted him.

Cloud shook his head. "No," he said, "I'm not with Shinra. I have helped them in the past, but I do not work for them and I never made it into SOLDIER. I failed to make the cut when you were in SOLDIER, and when I returned to Midgar, Shinra was tearing itself up with internal problems and there was not a program left to join. I'm not with Shinra, no."

_Good way to avoid honestly answering the question, Strife,_ Genesis silently applauded his enemy. _Re-direct the conversation so we are focusing on the fact that you did not get into SOLDIER. Avoid drawing attention to the ties you have with Reeve and let overlook that you were hired help for Rufus Shinra when the three Sephiroth fragments were running around town. Do not forget to mention how you chased down the motorbike gang._

"If we are going to get anywhere, Strife," Genesis firmly said, "be upfront with me. _Tell me_ that you have a conflict of interest, because you're friends with Mr. WRO, otherwise I can't trust what you say."

"You…" Cloud said with dismay, discouraged to see that the commander had been hurt so badly by people that _no matter what I say, he will always mistrust it. If I do not say exactly what he wants to hear, because I did not think to say it, he will take it personally and hold it against me. When someone has such deep seeded mistrust, how do you pull him or her back from the abyss?_ "You're..."

"I'm what…?" Genesis demanded.

"You're right," Cloud conceded, "there is a conflict and I should have stated there was, but I am not a mind reader. I don't know what you want me to say."

Genesis snorted. "I don't want you to say what I want to hear," was the abrupt reply. _"That_ is not honest."

Cloud met the snort with equally strong words of his own. "And the way you treat the Mrs. Williams of the world is honest?"

Genesis rolled his eyes, stiffly climbed to his feet and began to walk towards the edge of the cliff. "I do what I need to do to get by."

"Hey, where are you going?" Cloud sprang up, thinking at first that the eccentric man intended to hurl himself off the cliff and make fight at him from the air, but he stopped dead in his tracks, hesitating to attack when the former commander's pace was too slow and relaxed.

_If Genesis planned on fighting me,_ Cloud rationalized, _he would have gone sprinting off the cliff, rather than move slowly with his back exposed to a potential enemy. Perhaps turning his blind side to his foe is a gesture on the highly mistrustful Genesis' part to show that he is willing to trust someone and let people in. I…_

_I am taking a risk turning my back to Cloud,_ Genesis thought at the same time, as his enhanced hearing easily picked up the sound of Cloud trudging through the gravel after him. _But I want to see what he will do. I want to know if he is an enemy who takes advantage of my vulnerable moments to attack or who has honor, like…_

_...Angeal..._

~************~

Genesis shook his head sadly, as his thoughts turned to the honorable friend who had died for his sake. He grimaced in pain, as thinking about Angeal caused him to think about Sephiroth, and as an image of the silver-haired 1st welled up in his mind, he trembled, finding it difficult to wrap his head around the madness that had occurred in Nibelheim.

_I...don't know what to think,_ he thought, as he recalled how he had returned to the town the next day and found human remains and ashes.

_I...don't understand how you could do something so terrible,_ Genesis shivered, staring blankly at the cliff walls, realizing now that the Sephiroth whom he had thought he had known had been a skillful liar, who had deceived his close friends, never giving them any reason to think that he was unstable and carried such immense emotional burdens.

_Did you even know how to be honest with anyone, or did you spend your entire life lying to others? Did you even know how to be honest with yourself?_ Genesis wondered.

_If you had been honest with yourself, would you still be here today? he_ raged. _Would you have accepted my invitation to come to Banora and share apples with me? And why on earth am I even thinking about inviting you to share apples with me after you lied to me and told me that you would let me rot? I guess, because…_

…because he wanted to believe that Sephiroth had been a good man and had lied to keep the world bay. And because Genesis could bring himself to forgive someone whose lies had never been intentionally cruel or meant to manipulate him. His friend, after all, had not been like that…

… _Hollander, that bastard, whom I cannot forgive,_ Genesis told himself, as he leaned back against the cliff. _Sephiroth never would have jerked people around or given them the hope that he could save their life. And…_

He closed his eyes, as he felt remorse for using the unjust words that he had used with Sephiroth in those final hours at Nibelheim.

_I should have forgiven him when he refused to help me,_ Genesis admitted to himself, as he realized that he needed to forgive Sephiroth for a lot more than lying, _And I should have tried to see why he was lying._ _I should have realized that he already mistrusted me on account of my prior actions, but I did not and resorted to kicking him in the face, hoping that what I had found out about his origins would cause him to…_

_I don't know why I thought it would cause him to change his mind….I don't know what I was thinking…it's all mixed in with the shock of what happened and the shock of never imagining he would react so badly. If only I could have done things differently on that day…if only I could…what am I thinking?_

_We cannot..._

"We cannot…change the past," the tormented man murmured, suddenly feeling that it was very important to feel his friends again, hear them again, and know that Sephiroth and Angeal were still with him and to let them know he was aware of them and with them.

~************~

Genesis turned to look over his shoulder. He cautiously stared at Cloud, who was hovering warningly behind him and calmly said, "Disclaimer: I am going to stretch my wing. Since I don't fancy having you attack me, I thought I would give you proper warning."

His lips turned up as Cloud instinctively reached for a weapon that was not there, wondering if the warning should be regarded as a prelude to a fight.

"You can feel threatened or you can wait to see what I will do….perhaps I just want to feel the breeze?"

Genesis' tone became deadly serious.

"I'd like to stretch out, Cloud, that is _all_ I want to do, but if you decide to attack me when my back is turned, I will fight back and we will have an epic battle on our hands that will be fit for a playwright to write about, and…"

"It will go bad," Cloud dryly said, highly doubting that Genesis just wanted to stretch his wing out.

He started to say no, but he reconsidered, reminding himself that the man had not done anything personally threatening to him yet, and Genesis had had ample opportunity to get him when his guard had been down.

_It would have been the perfect opportunity for him to attack me when I was rummaging through his things,_ Cloud mused. _I had no idea he was hiding in the shadows._

Perhaps he could give Genesis the benefit of the doubt…

"That's the most tedious and long-winded disclaimer I've ever heard," Cloud said distantly to signify he was willing to give his enemy a chance. "I thought you were a literary critic? Don't literary critics hate long-winded sentences?"

"They normally do," Genesis said, as he closed his eyes, drew in his breath and a sharp wave of pain pierced his shoulder. "Long winded sentences are the devil," he said, as the wing erupted through his skin and rocketed upwards. "Critics hate them," he added, as he squeezed the inside of his shut palms tightly as the wing moved through the back slit of his jacket and slowly extended, stiff from months of non-use.

"I see," Cloud said, watching as Genesis' wing unfurled and smooth, raven-colored feathers fluttered to the ground. "Not a…"

He stared, as Genesis leaned into the wind flapping about them, and savored the feel of it moving across his body.

"…Surprise I guess," Strife murmured, as Genesis took comfort in knowing that even though they had passed on, he could feel his friends around him, streaming through the Planet's energies. "I..."

The young swordsman shook his head and watched with apprehension as Genesis sighed, certain that he could feel his friends seeping through his pores, swirling about him, moving gracefully with a sense of carefree freedom and lightness life had cruelly denied them. As Genesis smiled reluctantly, imagining that the soft wind sweeping over his face was his friends touching him without prejudice and granting him forgiveness, Cloud crouched behind the commander, not sure what to think.

_He certainly does not appear to be merely stretching his wing,_ Cloud thought, as he wondered whether this was a passive aggressive display of power meant to intimidate him, or if it was some bizarre theatrical performance from the man who obsessed over _LOVELESS._

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" he demanded.

"I don't know, Cloud, what do you think I am doing?" Genesis coldly replied. "What thoughts do you suppose go through the head of a monster?"

He started to say more, but he decided not to and made up his mind to shut the other man out for now.

He would not let a loudmouthed child who did not know what it was like to lose someone ruin his chance to seek solace.

~************~

They stood there at a standstill for ten minutes as the wind quickened and scattered the flower petals that Genesis had plucked off a mountain flower earlier in the day.

As the wind lifted up the discarded white petals, bearing them up, Genesis' eyes bore down.

_So fragile,_ he mused, as the wind sucked the petals up into a whirlwind, and churned them about, spinning them round and round.

_So tragic,_ he thought, as he gazed at them, twirling and pirouetting about, and thought about the silver-haired man who had been his friend flitting about in the breeze at sunrise, light and graceful as a flower on the wind.

~************~

Genesis sighed, imagining the long hair streaming out ethereally in the wind as Sephiroth twisted and turned, pivoting about on one heel, and tried to remember the awe he had felt as the steel tip of the Masamune sword rose elegantly in the air.

As he tried to merge the flower petals together into his friend, Genesis pictured the great general raising his arm up to run a leather-clad palm along the length of the blade.

He shivered, recalling how at the time, it had felt to him like the great blade Sephiroth was raising and pulling back over his shoulder seemed so natural, as if the sword were a mere extension of the man. Smiling sadly, he thought of how the general had turned to face the sun as it rose above the hills, and how the man's shoulders had eased. Green eyes had sparkled with excitement, frame rocking with a sense of joy, as Sephiroth took in the morning, thrilled to be alive.

~************~

As the flowers whirled about, the stream that ran down the trail nearby the campsite gurgled. His gaze still fixed on the flower petals, Genesis tuned in, listening to the water babble. He heard the water gush up as it swooshed over the grey and white pebbles lining the stream, and heard the blades of grass that grew at the water's edge crackle when the water rose up to tug at the grass' thin roots.

Sighing, he took in the welcoming, friendly and enveloping laughter, thinking of the times when he had submerged himself in the good feeling that such warm laughter evoked. Drifting along like a wayward leaf that floats down a stream, uncertain of its destination, he thought of two boys playing under a Banora tree, gleefully pulling apples from the branches, and savoring the taste of the juice as they bit into the apples and its sweetness ran down their throats.

As the brook babbled, he listened closely, absorbing himself in the sound of the water's laughter, and wondered how he could have forgotten all the childhood games that he and Angeal used to play in the shade of the Banora trees.

Sitting there in the shadows, he remembered how the two of them played hide and go seek, using the thick bushes on his parents' plantation to create elaborate forts and shelters. And then he frowned, remembering how they had splashed tirelessly through the streams, chased each other tirelessly through the growth, and when they were grown and their thoughts had turned to Shinra, they had wrestled in the grass.

~************~

Eventually, the exhausted wind began to dissipate, releasing its hold on the flower petals. As the wind eased its hold, the swirling flower petals started to sink. Born down by the weight of the pollen that clung to them and the wilting leaves Genesis had not bothered to pull off when he skinned the flower, the petals began their descent. Sinking with silent anguish, they drifted over the precipice of the cliff's sides and spiraled downwards, or floated over the giggling stream, braced to drown when they hit the water.

As the doomed flower petals floated precariously over the side of the cliff, Genesis' blue eyes widened with alarm. No! Surely there was something he could do! Surely he could save them!

The commander's hand shot out to protectively close his fingers around the petals and pull them back to the safety of the cliff, but at the last moment, his hand withdrew as he realized the futility of the gesture. It would do no good to save wilting flower petals that the wind had blown out of his reach over the cliff's side. He could not put broken flower petals back together to make something whole and beautiful again, could not coalesce the flower petals into the fragile swordsman he had cared about and the honorable friend who had been a warm and constant source of strength.

Yes, the wind did provide him with a sense of solace, sheltering him with its wings, but it was also a harsh reminder of how much he had lost. When its wings dissipated and faded away, he came crashing back to the reality of day.

Weary and spent, he tugged his coat around him, drawing it tight about his shoulders. Folding his wing about him so that he would have a double shield to protect himself, he mourned all that he had lost and all he had ever loved.

_I would give anything to have them back,_ he thought, as he sensed incoming loss _. Anything…_

_Any…_

"This has gone on long enough! We're not making any progress with you sitting here! Don't you want to take responsibility for your life?!!" Cloud's angry voice pierced through the silence, shattering the moment.

~************~

Genesis pulled away from the edge, not sure what to think of Cloud's burst of anger. For a moment, he could not comprehend what he had done to make Cloud so angry, and then it occurred to him that perhaps Cloud was angry, because he could not comprehend a monster taking a moment to think about those he had cared for.

Thinking that he had hit on the cause of Cloud's anger made Genesis' heart quicken and made his blood boil. He was used to being treated like an unfeeling monster before, but had never had someone questioned his concern for his friends.

Genesis dug his nails into the rocky cliff wall and whispered, too low for Cloud to hear, "I was thinking about my friends, Cloud, and how I would give anything to have them back. If you lost friends you cared about, surely you would want the same…."

" _Would you **really** do anything?"_ a questioning voice asked.

Genesis' eyes hardened.

That was going too far.

How dare Cloud question the sincerity of his emotions!

Genesis exploded.

"Yes, I would do anything," the commander snapped. "Do not question my sincerity, Strife. If I had the chance to go back and change things, I _would!_ Even if it meant going through the hell of the degradation process again! Just because I have a wing in my back, does not mean that I am incapable of feeling or regret. If you are so narrow-minded that you think that my feelings do not matter, then I pity the people who are stuck having you as their hero. Maybe it would be best if you just disappeared from this world!"

Genesis snarled and leaped into the air. His gloved hands were aglow, crackling with energy as he summoned a Firaga fireball. As the intermingling hues of purple, orange and white light rose up from his fingertips and merged together, becoming one, Genesis prepared to hurl the ball of energy at the feet of the inconsiderate blond who dared challenge him. He would show Cloud that monsters possessed feelings and that they mourned not for themselves, but for their comrades.

With a violent burst of adrenaline, Genesis spun around. He thrust the arm holding the fireball over his head, bringing the fireball up high so that he could smash it down with the full strength of his arm and recoiled, for there was now…nobody to throw the fireball at…and…

…Cloud was gone…

…And only an empty leather pauldron discarded on the ground remained to indicate that the swordsman had ever been there.

The Planet had reclaimed Cloud.


	2. The World of Illusions

**Chapter Two - The World of Illusions**

_Midgar - εуλ 0000_

The black haired cadet shook his head sympathetically as he stared at the exhausted blond kid who had fallen asleep on the bench in the park. "Think we should wake him up?" he asked his friend. "He has ninety-minutes before they check curfew. If he is not in his room when they make the rounds, they will skin him alive. He might wake up before then, but….you never know."

"And if we leave him out here," his companion argued, "they'll assign him to do the grunt work when he comes home late." He rolled his eyes. "I don't know about you, but I'm sick of being assigned to do stupid shit, yo. If he takes the heat, _we_ get a break. Long overdue vacation if you know what I mean, Jack."

John nodded, but he did not agree with his friend. _Leaving him out here is not the kind of thing First Sergeant would want us to do, Reno,_ he thought, remembering what Angeal had told him about being honorable.

"Let's wake him up," John said, deciding that he was going to do the right thing.

Reno rolled his eyes, unimpressed with his decision. "Sure, go ahead and do that. Just don't blame me the next time they stick it to you with all this shit!" he said, and he jammed his hand into his pants' pocket, fumbling for the secret stash of cigarettes that he had smuggled out of the building.

John frowned and stared at him reproachfully. "You're really coming across as a dick, y'know," he said, and Reno laughed at him.

"Yea, I guess I am," he agreed, as he lit up. "Sorry about it. Don't mean to act like one, but it kills me, y'know, to see them lay it on ya and the rest of my buds. Pisses me off that they keep making us do all the shit work and that's not cool."

He absently ran his fingers through his red hair, flattening the unkempt strands of hair with his callused palms.

"If they had someone else to think about for awhile, maybe they would lay it on them instead of –"

"I think a better solution," John said, "would be to try going for a week without getting into trouble so they won't punish us. Ever thought about staying out of trouble, Reno? "

Reno snorted. "Meh," he chuckled, "thought about it many times and never seem to be able to follow through. I get halfway through the day, something gets my goat and then BAM! It's all over! Once again, ladies and gents, Reno has failed to be a good boy! Reno's been bad? Oh no!" he gasped with mock horror. "What has he done this time? He has…decided to have a fun night on the town! Oh! That bad, bad boy! Call out the SOLDIER 1sts! Get President Shinra on the phone and deploy the General! We have a national disaster! Reno must be stopped."

 _I am so glad First Sergeant Hewley can't hear him,_ John thought, mortified.

" _Reno, shut up,"_ John silently mouthed, as a lady carrying brochures for the Silver Elite fan club sauntered passed the gate. To his relief, she decided not to enter the park. "If someone hears you, they are going to think you're high on something and then you and I are going to be hauling ass to the science lab for drug testing. Do you really want to have the science department conducting an intrusive exam on you?"

Reno snickered. "Depends on what the person conducting the exam looks like," he whistled. "If she's hot like that Cissnei babe who's been hanging around the office…"

"Cissnei, who is that? Oh, her!" It did not surprise John that his friend was crushing on Cissnei. Reno always seemed to be attracted to women who were out of his league and his present crush of the moment was no exception.

"You do know that that _Cissnei babe_ is a Turk, don't you?" John asked, hoping that his buddy would realize just how far out of his league the classy woman was.

"So, so what if she is?" Reno frowned. "Is that not cool?"

"Oh no, it's cool," John replied, "but the Turks aren't exactly people you want to hit on if you know what I mean?"

Reno waggled his head to indicate that no, he did not know what John meant. "She's my kinda gal," he insisted. "Rich, drop dead gorgeous, and…"

"And likely to kick your butt if you hit on her, lover boy," John retorted. "You say that you are sick of them sticking it to you…well, imagine how they'd stick it to you if she took it the wrong way and the Turks started keeping tabs on you? They'd see _all_ your antics. Word would get back to your floor monitor and your teachers and then you'd be permanently assigned to detention."

He turned his attention back to the blond kid on the bench.

"Poor guy must be really out of it to sleep through all your… _noise._ " He gently shook the sleeping kid's shoulders. "Hey," he whispered. "Hey…you should wake up. It's late and you don't want to be out here this late when it gets dark."

The boy mumbled something, rolled over, and…

….did not open his eyes.

"Wow, he is really out of it," Reno said. "Drunk as a skunk?"

"No, not drunk," John said, for there was no alcohol on the kid's breath. "Shot out of his mind, I'm guessing, probably only had about two hours of sleep. You're the only one I know of, Reno, who would get drunk in the middle of the week."

Clearly, a little more persistence was necessary - John shook the sleeper's shoulders a little harder.

"Hey, it's getting late," he said. "You really do need to wake up or you're going to get in trouble. I don't want to see you get in trouble, okay?"

This time, John got results.

Hazy, disoriented eyes slowly opened.

"That's it…"

The new kid's lips flew apart as white light from the street lamp tippled down onto his face.

"Wake up…"

John smiled as the new boy raised his hands to shield himself from the light. He watched as the kid stiffly sat up, hesitantly taking in the sight of the weather-stained slide; rickety chain-link fence; and tawny-colored gravel. And when they fixed their bewildered blue eyes upon his gray uniform, silver helmet and dog tags, he waved uncertainly back at them. "Hi, I'm John Brown from Junon," he said, "and I'm –"

"Are….you…with Shinra?" the kid cautiously asked, surprised to see that the person who had awoken him was wearing a company uniform when Rufus had ordered everyone to turn in their military suits after the Deepground affair.

John frowned. "Yep," he said, "I'm with them. And you are…?"

"Cloud Strife from Nibelheim," the young blond murmured, "but…how did I get here? How did you guys find…?" He trailed off, as he realized that Genesis had knocked him out, lugged his body down the cliff and dumped him in some park in the middle of nowhere. "Never mind," he said wearily. "It's all coming back to me now."

John looked at Cloud with concerned eyes. Perhaps the new boy was drunk after all. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Cloud groaned, shakily swinging his legs over the side of the bench.

He brought his right hand to his face and slid his fingers up his cheeks, inching them along until they came to rest on his temples. When all five digits came to rest on his brow, he pressed down, slowly massaging his throbbing skull as he felt the headache of a lifetime coming on.

"I'll be fine in a few minutes…but the red haired, leather clad, poetry reciting asshole who left me here is in big trouble."

John's eyes widened. "Well, I'm sure your companion didn't mean to leave you here on purpose. It's easy to get lost out here in the neighborhood and the two of you probably got los…umm, we still get lost, don't we, Reno?"

"Ye-ah, sometimes we do," the tough-talking redhead replied, and Cloud felt his heartbeat quicken, as he realized that he had been found by…

_Friends._

"Reno! Am I glad to see you!" he breathlessly murmured.

~************~

Cloud leaned forward, trying to get a glimpse of the man reclining against the fence. From his position on the park bench, he could make out the lazy, carefree slouch of Reno's shoulders, strands of familiar puffy red hair whipping about in the wind, and a box of cigarettes poking out of the redhead's hands. As Reno sucked his breath in and inhaled, Cloud turned his head away and covered his nose. Never, in all the years that he had known him, could Cloud remember Reno having an interest in smoking.

 _I guess some things change,_ thought Cloud, as he came close to gagging on the putrid smell of cigarette smoke. "Hey, Reno," he said.

"Hey, Cloud, yo, yo!" Reno waved interestedly, and John Brown did a double-take for Reno usually he was not so enthusiastic about greeting new people. "How you doing, you doing good, yo?"

 _Peachy, I just got my butt handed to me by a rogue SOLDIER 1st,_ Cloud sarcastically thought, but he did not utter such thoughts out loud. Instead, he said, "I'm doing good, and I'm glad you found me, because I sure could use your help." He looked at Reno pleadingly, deciding that when they were alone and Reno's friend was not looming over their shoulders, he would ask Reno to put him in touch with Reeve so that he could explain the situation to his old friend.

 _Reeve will know what to do with Genesis,_ he told himself, as Reno smiled at him.

"Need someone to walk you home?" John asked, assuming that Cloud wanted them to help him find his way through the city.

"Sure...I – I wouldn't mind having someone to walk with me," Cloud stammered. "But…"

 _I really need to speak with Reeve tonight **before** I go home, _he fretted, _Or Genesis may do something drastic in the meantime._

"Is there any particular place you want to go?" Reno asked.

Cloud grimaced. "To your headquarters," he decisively said.

"So in other words, home," John smiled. "Reno and I will be glad to walk you back, but before we leave the park…" He shot his friend a dirty glare. "Reno, you need to put out that cigarette. They will _murder_ you the moment you walk in smoking that butt and…don't toss it on the ground either! This is a _playground!_ What kind of example do you think leaving cigarette butts around sets for little kids if they find them on the slide, sheesh!" He folded his arms and watched, unimpressed, as Reno sauntered under the street lamp, waving the forbidden box of cigarettes around as if they were a trophy.

"Ha," Reno snickered, and as he swept by…

…Cloud freaked out, not believing what he was seeing.

_~************~_

_Am I seeing things,_ Cloud wondered, as he gazed upon a Reno who was too childish to have the maturity of the man who had assisted him with beating Deepground and who looked as if he were no older than seventeen years of age. _I…I….must be asleep. I must be dreaming this._

 _This…cannot be real.._.

But the longer Cloud looked at the impish, unrepentant Reno parading around the playground, the more and more real everything became. And as he watched Reno grin wolfishly at him, he began to tremble.

 _How…can this be,_ he wondered, as he gripped onto the park bench for support with rising terror. _What…is going on? I don't understand this,_ he cried to himself, as he came close to losing it and grabbed onto John Brown for support

"I…am so confused," he whispered, as he stood there, unable to accept that this was no dream, that this was _real,_ and that he was back in the slums of Old Midgar where the adventure had all begun.

 _I…don't know what to think…_.he mentally moaned.

 _Never in all my life did I imagine…that this would happen,_ he shivered – dreading what lay beyond.

~************~

Cloud padded after Reno and John, silently absorbing the city he remembered all too well.

As they rounded a corner, he took in the sight of overflowing trash cans stacked up alongside the road; discarded firewood piled up beneath a boarded up shop; murky brown run off guzzling from a sewage pipe and tippling down the grimy gravelly road. And when they splashed through the foul water, he hunched his shoulders and retreated inwardly, trying to drown out the squeal of rats, the clatter of a dumpster being emptied, and the humdrum conversation of the weary, burdened people who stood on the curbs and corners.

"Nnnh." Cloud's eyes widened as they stepped over a pool of water and he caught a glimpse of himself.

He stood there in shock as he gaped at his reflection and saw that he was once again the short, clumsy child he had been many summers ago. And then he shuddered, remembering how wraithlike his frame had been and how difficult it had been for him to do the simplest physically taxing tasks. He snorted in disgust, as he remembered how his pathetic body always ending up winded. He thought about his greasy, unhealthy yellow hair, bleary eyes and frightened voice, and felt like a pariah. And he shook his head, marveling that the folks at Shinra had not rejected his application to SOLDIER on the spot when…

… _I would have rejected me on the spot._

~************~

Cloud turned away from the puddle of slime and focused on the people milling about along the side of the road. He gazed at the burned out, emotionally spent souls with mournful eyes, and wished that they could tell him what strength kept them going, because he did not know what he would do to keep himself going now that he was…

"Alone…" he whispered to himself, not wanting to face the fact that his friends were gone and that there were no real people here. "Just me here," he murmured, deciding that he would start by disbelieving that the Reno beside him was real.

 _You're not real,_ Cloud bitterly thought, _but you're very convincing. You crack jokes, slap me on the back, and go on about girls, but you cannot possibly be human. You are…_

… _merely an illusion….created by Genesis…to torment me._

~************~

Yes, that had to be it, he concluded, as they rounded a corner. Genesis had to be playing mind games on him, cruelly messing with his head. There was no other way to explain all this. The one-winged SOLDIER had to be trying to break him, just the way Sephiroth had tried to break him.

 _Genesis, what did I ever do to you,_ Cloud wondered, _that would make you do this to me? Was it because I tried to apprehend your doctor that you decided to take my memories and use them against me?_

_You…_

_…Sick, sick bastard,_ he bitterly thought, as he imagined Genesis looming over his incapacitated body on the cliff, hungrily watching him flail around like a drugged up patient in a mental ward. _You sadistic monster,_ he choked - the thought of being emotionally manipulated by the monster and treated like a lab rat again overwhelming him.

_You -_

_Oh my god!_ he silently cried out, as the world began to spin, and the bile rushed up, surging eagerly through his throat.

~************~

Cloud staggered to the side of the street so that he would not vomit in the middle of the road. He thrust out his hands to brace himself for the fall and dropped to his knees. He heard Reno and John calling his name, worriedly asking him if he was all right, but he could not reply for everything was a mess.

As saliva spilled from his lips and thick brown chunks of vomit rushed over his tongue to spatter on the ground, Cloud's chest heaved and the landscape before him spiraled out of control. The cruel street lamps shining down on him merged with the dusty garbage bins, the rusted awnings, the mud puddling around him and the hustling and bustling people, becoming a kaleidoscope of colors. A feeling of intense, sharp pain swept over him as his stomach muscles became taut, his head reeled from dizziness, and the colors in front of him became an unfocused, churned up sea of red, blues and greens.

He cried out, unable to comprehend Genesis' incomprehensible cruelty, and that was when…

…a door opened and a sweet voice asked if everything was okay.

_~************~_

_Oh my god…that voice…_

_I know that voice,_ Cloud thought, as he drew his legs up and brought his chin to rest on his knees. He kept his back turned, knowing that if he turned around to find the source of the beautiful, ethereal voice that he would be unable to take it. He sobbed silently, knowing that it would be devastating to turn around and see her. He shuddered in denial, knowing that he would likely snap in front of everyone if their eyes met and do violence to himself in the hope that it would end the nightmare.

 _No…no…._ Cloud whispered to himself. _I won't do that…not to her…she may just be an illusion but I'm not going to commit suicide in front of her and tarnish her,_ he vowed, as he listened to Reno babble in the background about how he thought he had the stomach flu.

"I wouldn't do that to Aeris," he murmured, as the pretty girl knelt beside him.

~************~

"Would you like to come inside?" Cloud heard her ask him, and then he saw her hold out her hand.

"You – you can help me?" Cloud stammered, as his eyes met hers, and he saw...

....carefree brown bangs...deep, friendly eyes...and an infectious smile spreading across her entire face.

"Aeris, you -" he numbly whispered, as he reached out absently to take her hand and let her pull him to his feet. "How can this be...?" he dared to ask her, as he let her lead him up the steps, take him into the Church and lead him to a pew. "I'm-I'm sorry about what happened," he apologized, once they were inside. "I didn't mean to throw up outside a church. I feel bad about that. I didn't know that was going to happen and…I'm sorry about it."

He frowned as she slid into the pew beside him and held out the glass of water, offering it.

"You have nothing to apologize for," she said. "Others have also made embarrassing mistakes before. You wouldn't be the first to find yourself in such circumstances." She laughed airily. "It happens to the best of us." She squeezed his hand again as his eyes filled with confusion, not understanding. "Myself included."

"Really?" Cloud pressed his cheek against the palm of his hand as he averted his eyes from her.

 _You're the most realistic illusion,_ he mourned.

"Do you feel better?" she asked him.

"Me? Feel better?" Cloud shook his head, knowing he would not feel better until Genesis was rotting in a cemetery. If Genesis knew what was good for him, the sociopath would start praying for the Turks to pick him up and put him in a maximum-security prison before his illusions wore off.

 _Only a jail cell is going to keep me from snapping his neck,_ he nastily thought, as he turned to Aeris and shrugged. "I'll get by," he helplessly said, as Aeris leaned in closely, "this won't be the last time I've weathered out a storm. I'll…"

Cloud covered his face with his hands as he caught himself thinking about ways to break into Genesis' jail cell and take the man's life. The realization that he was putting so much thought into killing the other man appalled him, shaking him to his core. He had never considered killing another person in cold blood, not even when Sephiroth had been killing people he loved and goading him into extracting revenge, but now thinking about ways to kill his enemy just came so easily and…

He held up his hands, as he wondered…if he had lost so much faith in people and in himself that it had come to this…and what would happen if he slipped and was unable to pull himself back…

 _Aeris,_ he wondered, _Why is the strength that has carried me through crises in the past failing me now?_

_Why have I lost sight of trying to make myself a better person and cherishing all that I hold dear?_

_Have I lost my strength so the only conviction left for me is the conviction that committing murder will make the pain end?_

_Aeris, what should I do?_

~************~

"Are you good at weathering out storms?" Aeris wondered, drawing him back to reality.

"Yes, I've weathered my share of storms," Cloud said. "What's another storm or two? I…"He shook, for Genesis was making him question his ability to protect those he cared about. "I don't…."

He broke off and covered his face with his hands, seeing clearly now that the act of sending him to this world of illusions was intended to remind him how easy it was for people like Genesis to take away all he held dear.

"I don't find this one any different from the other storms I've weathered," he miserably murmured, as he turned away from her, not wanting her to see his despair as he realized that with just a mere wave of his hand, Genesis had rolled away the world he loved.

 _This is bad, bad, bad,_ Cloud dolorously thought as, he wondered what the commander was using to master such powerful illusions, and nearly threw up again as it occurred to him that the new power might be so great that he might not be able to effectively fight back against it.

~************~

"What are you thinking about?" Aeris whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close. He did not resist as she laid her chin on his shoulder and drew him in. Gentle fingers fluttered through his wispy, unkempt hair, caressing the wild strands, as her warm breath fanned around him, enveloping him. "The storm that you are facing….does it frighten you?"

"Yeah," he said, leaning into her. "I am scared. Coming back here has made me realize how hard it is to preserve what I care about. And I'm afraid it's going to wither….before it's time…" He closed his eyes. "So many people I've cared about have withered."

"I can relate," Aeris softly said, rocking his back gently. "You lost people who you care about…" She ran her fingers down his back as she tried to ease his tense shoulders. "It's horrible when that happens, but…Cloud…" With her free hand, she guided his chin up so he was looking directly in her eyes. "Sometimes people are given second chances and the way things played out the first time won't play out the same way again. Sometimes people who you lost can be saved. Sometimes people are given the chance to set things straight. You are one of those people who have that chance, Cloud."

~************~

Cloud's eyes flooded with disbelief.

Was she saying what he thought she was saying?

What she was saying was _impossible_ – when people died, their bodies joined the Lifestream and they became part of the collective that flowed through the Planet. The Planet did not break its cycle of life and death. It did not reincarnate people when they died, nor did it send them back so that they could re-experience the movie reel of their lives. Once a person died, they stayed dead.

"I don't understand the illogical things that you are saying," Cloud said. He fought back a laugh – Genesis was getting sloppy having his illusion say such ignorant things about the Lifestream. "Aren't we all supposed to join the Lifestream in the grand scheme of things? Why am I so special that I, out of all the people floating in the Lifestream, should be given a _'second chance'?_ If you want me to believe your illusions, Genesis, at least have them say things that make sense. Don't tell me I've been given a second chance by the Planet. Such things don't happen and we both know that."

~************~

Aeris sadly lowered her eyes as Cloud snarled in her arms.

She did not understand how she and Cloud had ended up in Old Midgar again, but she did not question that it was for any reason other than a good one. When she had spotted Cloud in the street, she had been happy for him, having faith that the Planet had brought him back to experience good things and bring positive changes to peoples' lives. She had hoped that he would be comforted, finding himself amongst his friends again, and that he would be relieved to know that he had been given the chance to find the peace he had futilely sought ever since the flames of Nibelheim. She had hoped that he would react…any way but….this...

"Cloud," Aeris urgently whispered, "this is not….this is not an illusion created by Genesis. This is _real._ I – I know that you don't want to believe it, but…please…."

She squeezed his hand tightly and choked for words, not knowing what to say, as she realized that the boy she was comforting was so disillusioned that his mistrust prevented him from believing her good intentions and that he saw her was an emotionless ventriloquist's dummy, spewing deceitful lies.

"Please trust me," she begged him. "Please," she whispered, as Cloud rested his weary eyes, and let his mind wander. "You really have been given a second chance," she insisted, while he looked back, searching for the memory of a butterfly he had found cowering on the slopes of Mount Nibelheim.

_~************~_

_It was the first time anyone had ever seen a butterfly in years,_ Cloud recalled, as Aeris rocked him. _When I went back to town and told people what I had seen, no one believed me. They told me I had to have been dreaming. No butterfly, they said, would be drawn to dead flowers on the polluted Nibelheim trail, but I kept insisting I had seen it, because it was good and beautiful._

 _That butterfly was…_ real.

~************~

Cloud turned to Aeris, suddenly wishing that he could believe in her, because she seemed pure and beautiful like the butterfly that he had encountered on the ruined trail.

His chest heaved, as he decided that for the love that he held for her spirit and for the memory of the pure butterfly he had encountered in the wasteland, he would _try_ to believe that the woman who wore Aeris' form was good and kind and was not an illusion who had been twisted to spin lies meant to deceive him.

If the Planet could shelter a butterfly, he asked himself, why would it not shelter Aeris, the purest being he had ever known?

~************~

" _Aeris,"_ Cloud murmured, "I don't understand what you are saying. I thought that we all were supposed to join the Lifestream. Is there a higher power who can do things like this? Is this your doing? Is this the power of the Cetra?"

Aeris shook her head. "No," she whispered, her heart beating with joy, "this is not my doing. The Cetra have never had such power. We are good at growing things, but we cannot do this. This is the work of someone else."

"The Planet?" Cloud wondered, his temples throbbing as he tried to rationalize why the Planet would invest so much of itself into rolling life back. It seemed inconceivable to him, when so much energy needed to be used to repair the hurts caused by Sephiroth and Deepground, that the Planet would expend itself in this manner. "Wouldn't the Planet be better off expending its energy in other ways than this? Why would the Planet go backwards rather than forwards?"

"I don't know," Aeris solemnly said, "but I have faith that it is for a good cause. Perhaps the Planet chose this route, because it realized that by going back, it would expend less energy than if it tried to repair the damage that was done." She smiled at him, and as she did Cloud knew that she was _real;_ only the _real_ Aeris could maintain such conviction that everything occurred for a good cause.

"Was the Planet that hurt?" Cloud sadly asked.

"More deeply than you can imagine," Aeris said. "Using its energy, the Planet would have been able to heal the hurts of the world, but it would have become so crippled that it would have taken it hundreds of years to regain its strength. Life would have gone on, but the quality of life would not have been as good as it would be if the Planet were whole. Perhaps that is why you have been given a second chance."

"A second chance to do…? Oh my god!" Cloud whispered, as the overwhelming weight of the responsibility imposed by this second chance came crashing down on his head. "You mean…prevent Meteor…stop Jenova…prevent Nibelheim from…"

He sank into her arms as the world spun and the stained glass windows, looming imperiously overhead, swirled about and bore down.

Sobbing into her shoulder, he poured out his emotions, sharing with her his fear of failing and his disbelief that the Planet had given him this chance to undo all the pain they had experienced. Pulling the friend he had loved in life close to him, he shared with her his silent hope that this time things would be different.

From the Lifestream, the spirit of Ifalna Faremis watched her daughter comfort Cloud. Getting Cloud to accept that the Planet really had given him a second chance had been more difficult than Ifalna had expected and when she had felt the young man's anger, she had worried he would not be able to overcome his denial. Now that he had accepted the reality of the Planet's gift, it would be only a matter of time before Cloud calmed down and a fierce determination to set things straight replaced the feelings of fear and disbelief that Cloud presently felt. No matter how overwhelmed Cloud was by his fear of failing to prevent a repeat of the past, his faith in all he held dear would win out, causing him to overcome his self-doubts. Time after time, Ifalna had seen Cloud sink into despair and re-emerge strengthened by his conviction in all that he cherished. The boy had proven his devotion to his friends was unshakeable.

As Aeris ran her fingers through Cloud's spiky bangs, Ifalna stretched her arms over her daughter to shelter her against the long road that lay ahead.

Although Ifalna had faith that Aeris had the strength to get through this, her heart went out to her, knowing that it would be rough for Aeris to live under surveillance again and that Professor Hojo would likely force the girl to go into hiding at some point.

Tapping into the collective thoughts of the Lifestream, she sought out Hollander and felt his feelings.

She recoiled, as she felt him rant about how Jenova had failed to live up to his expectations and swear that he would find a real living Ancient, study them and make them…

Ifalna tuned out the rest, as she decided that yes, Hollander would definitely pose problems for her daughter if he found out that she still lived.

And come to think of it, his rival, Doctor Hollander, would become a threat if he found about her child's existence…

~************~

Ifalna flinched, not even wanting to consider what would happen if Hollander found out about Aeris…

She had no love for Hollander, who was desperate enough to do anything to tip the scales in his favor, and if it meant jeopardizing the "patient's" life, so be it. He already had taken risks with the health of the SOLDIERs under his care.

Were he to find out about Aeris, Ifalna was certain Hollander would show the same disregard for her daughter's life. She had no doubt that he would strap the girl to a table and start performing his worst experiments on her in order to yield instant results, because with cancer eating away at his lungs, he was frantic to secure his claim to fame.

 _He will not care who he hurts, because he has nothing to lose with cancer killing him,_ Ifalna thought, feeling very disturbed that the Planet had reincarnated Hollander with lung cancer when he had not had this terminal condition before.

As she contemplated the danger that Hollander posed, Ifalna realized that Hollander's condition also meant that Aeris and Cloud would not be able take their memories of the past for granted. Hollander was proof to her that the Planet's decision to roll back time had also altered the people that they remembered. Instead of relying upon what they knew about people they had previously known, Aeris and Cloud would need to adapt and get to know the people all over again.

And sadly…

One of the people who had been altered for the worst was Zack Fair.

~************~

Ifalna rested her eyes, recalling how she had recently watched SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack sparring with his mentor in the training room.

She thought about how during that session, the young man had exuded confidence and optimism during the match, up until the point when foot soldiers had entered the room to observe…and then his cheeks had paled and his face had gone completely white.

She frowned as she recalled how Angeal had demanded that Zack stay focused, but that the request had ultimately failed when the infantryman bragging about shooting monsters in the head had proven to be too much for the SOLDIER.

Zack had responded by…

…sheathing his sword and quickly walking out of the room, Angeal's disappointment be damned.

The Zack that Cloud had known never would have walked out on his mentor.

~************~

 _There is something wrong here,_ Ifalna thought, as she wondered whether Zack had walked out because he remembered Shinra infantrymen gunning him down.

The thing was, Zack should not remember what had happened to him, for the Planet had moved quickly to purge the memories of those who had been involved when it had made the decision to claim Cloud Strife.

However…

The spirit of Zack, had fought back, clinging fiercely to his memories as a frothing maelstrom of Lifestream energy tugged at his soul, pulled it down, devoured and drowned it.

The Planet had quashed Zack, putting down his resistance, but perhaps….

Perhaps, Ifalna rationalized, Zack's protest had foiled things and a fragment of Zack's memories had endured.

As she wondered if Zack's resistance had not been so futile after all, Ifalna asked herself why Zack had been the only one to resist the Planet.

It was somewhat shocking to her that the spirit of Angeal had accepted the Planet's decision to wipe everyone's memories without question and that the spirit of Sephiroth had only shown resignation as the Lifestream consumed it. She would have expected Sephiroth to be enraged and to fight back with every ounce of his being, but he had done no such thing and had quietly faded away, passing on like a grain of sand that is swept away by the tug of the ocean current.

Used to having no free will of his own due to his experiences with Hojo and Jenova, Sephiroth had wearily accepted his role in the Planet's "game."

~************~

"What is happening to me in the present?" Ifalna heard Cloud ask her daughter. "For me to end up back here, did I die? Am I dead?"

"I don't know exactly what is happening in the present," Ifalna heard Aeris carefully reply, "but I am certain that you are safe and the Planet is looking out for you. I would not worry about it." For the time being, it was best that she spared Cloud the knowledge of what had happened to him. He would react badly if he knew that the last thing that she had seen was his body floating in the Lifestream.

 _It is up to the Planet, not us, to tell him that in order to give him a second chance, the Planet claimed him,_ Ifalna thought, as she recalled how she had watched with horror as the Planet had separated his soul from his body and left his lifeless shell to circle the world his soul had left behind.

 _I hope,_ Ifalna thought, _That his body does not end up someplace inaccessible and hard to reach like the Northern Crater. It would be rough for his loved ones if he ended up there and they found him lying side by side next to…._

 _Sephiroth,_ she thought, reminded that Sephiroth's body was still in the Crater and that no one had ever had the chance to give it proper burial.

No, she corrected herself, Cloud and his friends had had the opportunity after they had stopped Meteor, but they had chosen to leave Sephiroth's body to crystallize in mako instead, and Ifalna could not blame them; had she still been living at the time, she would not have wanted to honor the man who had murdered her daughter with a farewell funereal.

~************~

As she thought about how no one had mourned for Sephiroth, it occurred to her that Cloud's friends would mourn for him when Mrs. Williams called the police to report that he was missing.

 _The search will go badly,_ she thought, knowing that the police would conduct a search and turn up nothing, because no one would be able to locate Cloud when he was on vacation in the Lifestream, _And the officers will come back and tell her that Cloud is missing and presumed dead._

Furthermore, she realized…

The search for Cloud also had the potential to become very unpleasant. Once Cloud's friends learned how he had disappeared, Ifalna was certain that they would want to climb the cliffs and check out the rogue SOLDIER 1st who had last seen Cloud. Ifalna doubted that Genesis would react well to a visit from Cloud's friends, especially not the rough talking, in your face Cid Highwind or Reeve and his robotic cat. Even worse would be if the police got there before Cloud's friends, found Genesis' tent and tried to haul Genesis into the precinct for questioning. If the latter happened, Ifalna knew that someone would get hurt. Genesis would not allow the police to take him without putting up a big fight.

 _I will also need to inform Genesis that he will be receiving visitors,_ Ifalna decided. _Whether he likes it or not, he is involved now and I am not…_

…looking forward to either visit.

The Cetra sighed, knowing that Genesis would be difficult to deal with and the friends would have questions about the Planet's decision to claim Cloud. They would expect her to explain the Planet's actions to them and provide justification for its decision, and she would be hard-pressed to explain what had happened and for her to justify what the Planet had done.

There was, after all, no justification that she could give when she did not understand the Planet's actions herself.

All she would be able to tell them was that…that she had faith the Planet was acting in Cloud's best interests and in their best interests.

~************~

"Hey, Cloud, how yo feeling? It's late, we should…." a loudmouthed teenage boy interrupted Ifalna's thoughts. "Holy…woowooo…hottie...hottie."

"RENO!"

Ifalna turned to look at the door. Cloud's two new friends were lurking by the entrance.

Reno was leaning against the door, one hand stretched above his head. His dknuckles pressed into the thick doorframe as he nervously rapped them against the metal, but John Brown was staying back, trying to keep out of Cloud and Aeris' line of sight. Reno wolf-whistling when they had walked in to find Cloud with his head buried in Aeris' lap had him mortified.

"Can I help you?" Aeris politely asked.

"Um, um…." Reno stammered.

"Um, it's late," John Brown said, starting for the door. "If we don't get back to Headquarters soon, we'll miss curfew. If you're all cleaned up and good to go, Cloud, we'll take you…" He frowned, noticing how out of it Cloud looked. "Would you still like us to walk you home, Cloud?" he hesitantly asked, his voice a mixture of pity and reluctance.

Aeris drew Cloud close.

Lowering her voice so that Reno and John Brown could not hear her, she softly asked, "Are you ready to go, Cloud? I don't want to see you get in trouble and you have things you need to do back at Headquarters, like see old friends and do your homework."

Cloud did not reply to her aloud, but he gripped her hand, squeezing it tightly to let her know that he was trying to accept the reality of his situation.

"Good then!"

Aeris rose and started walking him to the door.

"I'll be here if you need me," she promised. "If you ever want to talk or just hang out…feel free to drop on by."

At the door, she turned to him, suddenly remembering something.

"Oh, and take this…" she said, pressing a small black cardboard box into his hand. "I found it in the street before you guys….anyway, it looks like jewelry I've seen the SOLDIERs wear. I think someone lost it and it's expensive…"

She opened the box, revealing a silver earpiece.

"Perhaps you can return it to company headquarters?"


	3. Sephiroth

**Chapter Three - Sephiroth**

_Midgar - εуλ 0000_

"So, let me get this straight, First Sergeant…" the silver-haired man leaned back in the thick leather swivel chair flanking his desk. "You want to recommend your student for SOLDIER 1st Class? Do you think that he is ready? You don't think that he should remain in the mentorship program awhile longer?"

First Sergeant Hewley's stern features softened. It was frustrating to have his friend of eight years question his faith in his pupil, but such a reaction was to be expected from Sephiroth. Anyone who got promoted to SOLDIER 1st Class would have to work directly alongside the general and Sephiroth was very reluctant to have new people work with him. The man was much more comfortable denying someone a promotion than letting them have access to him. Ten SOLDIER 1st Classes coming in and out of his office each day was sufficient in his book, why add another?

"I think that Zack is ready," Angeal quietly said. "I've been taking him on progressively harder missions and he handles himself well. He also looks out for others and…recently…I got knocked down by a Grand Horn. And when it charged me, Zack stepped in and took the blow. He held the creature off long enough for me to recover and…"

Sephiroth frowned.

"I thought he did a good job."

"Your idea of a good job is very different from my idea of a good job," Sephiroth skeptically said. "He should not have allowed himself to be gored by a Grand Horn. There are other ways to keep them off someone and endangering himself in the manner that he chose shows a lack of judgment. Cure materia is not going to heal a punctured lung or stomach very efficiently if he gets hurt!"

"So," Angeal inquired, "he should have stood back and blasted the Grand Horn with elemental materia?"

His commanding officer snorted.

"I would question his mental stability if he decided to run around and hit it with elemental materia," Sephiroth said, eyeing the heaps of paperwork he had to finish before the night was out with distaste. "We don't need a repeat of _that_ kind of behavior."

He crumpled up a letter from Hojo and smoothly tossed it to the side.

"Once was enough."

Angeal agreed. "That incident made me question GR's sanity also," he said, "but he did it to see if he could wear the animal down with materia alone. Not what I would call a good reason, but….he hasn't repeated a stunt like that. Anyway…"

He coughed.

"That's not how Zack fights. He didn't use elemental materia on the Grand Horn. He took the blow and then countered with Costly Punch materia. Zack knows what he's doing and he knows the meaning of honor. I think that he would be a good fit."

Sephiroth looked up from his planner. "You will need to speak to the Director," he said, "and argue your case before him. Lazard has the final say."

His tightened jaw eased as he clasped his gloved fingers together and leaned forward in his chair.

"I would not have fought a Grand Horn the way your student fought it," he said, "but…I will not stand in your way. I trust your assessment of his abilities and your judgment of character. I doubt that you would recommend someone for 1st Class who would bring dishonor to us…"

He trailed off as Angeal plopped Zack's file on his desk…and a photograph of a widely grinning Zack giving the thumbs-up sign was the first thing that greeted his eyes when he opened the folder.

Sephiroth gave his friend a pained expression and quickly slid the photograph back inside the file and snapped a rubber band around the bulging envelope. "The photographer sure drew out his hyper personality," he said. "Is he always like that?"

Angeal laughed. "I'm afraid so," he sympathetically said, as the disturbed general put Zack's file in a drawer, "but it's a good thing. He's great with people and will be a wonderful role model for the younger cadets. He'd probably also be good at sorting out sore issues for people…he's much better at that kind of thing than GR or I."

"Hmm…" Sephiroth stroked his chin and conceded that his First Sergeant had a very good point, for none of his top-ranking officers were good at negotiating treaties or hashing out deals, and Angeal was particularly bad. "You think Zack will be good at _those_ types of missions?" the general asked.

"Yes, I do," Angeal said, folding his arms as he moved towards the windows. "He'll be great at them because he is honest and because he has the patience to be there until they work out the right solution. He'll help them come up with something that the company and the people like and that's fair to both sides."

"Oh, really?" Sephiroth set aside another stack of papers. "Neither side is going to have the patience to hear him out, and Zackary will end up being put on the spot. They'll put a lot of pressure on him and he'll be forced to compromise his morals to…"

He closed his mouth, regretting that he had said so much, for the last thing that he wanted was to get Angeal started on dreams, pride and honor _._

~************~

Five minutes later, Sephiroth was rolling his eyes as Angeal got ready to give him Part Two of his lecture on dreams, _integrity_ and honor.

As his First Sergeant paced around the room, the general shook his head, finding it difficult to wrap his head around the things that Angeal had said. His best friend's insistence that Zack would never compromise his values was particularly hard for him to accept, when his own mentor had compromised his beliefs and resumed using human beings as test subjects after publicly denouncing human experimentation.

 _I am sorry, Angeal,_ Sephiroth thought, as he remembered how his mentor, Professor Gast, had apologized to the science department and promised them that he would do whatever they wanted from now on, _but I just can't see your student upholding his principles. I'm sure that he is a good person and wants to do the right thing, but...you have to remember that he is only seventeen **,** and very susceptible to peer pressure, _ he sighed, as the sight of Angeal standing by the window reminded him of how Professor Gast had looked the last time that he had seen him alive.

_You should reconsider who you are defending, because your argument....is not very compelling._

~************~

"Hmmm, it looks like the Reno kid just got back," Angeal dryly said, as he looked out the window. "They've missed curfew by twenty minutes and…it looks like they're being sneaky and trying to sneak in through a restricted side door."

"Reno, eh?" Sephiroth shook his head. "I will show Reno the door myself if he makes it into 3rd class," the general vowed, "and you..."

"I am going to write up Reno and his friends," Angeal replied. "John Brown is with him and…so is the blond kid who likes to hang around Zack. Zack's told me the name before, but I forget it. It's an unusual name…Sky Wife or something like that."

He looked abashed as he caught himself, realizing how condescending his lack of effort to get the cadet's name right sounded.

"I honestly don't remember the name," he said apologetically. "It's _Cloud_ or _Sky_ or _Thunder,_ something that has to do with the sky, and his last name rhymes with _Wife."_

Sephiroth grimaced. "It's a good thing the ability to remember peoples' names is not a skill I require in my subordinates," the general replied, "or you never would have made it into 1st Class if I had."

He arched a silver eyebrow as Angeal started to fill out a detention slip for John Brown. "You have me intrigued about the name, though," he murmured. "Let's take a look and see if we can locate him in the database. Let's start with _Sky,_ and then try other names," he added, as he swiveled around to tap his keyboard and bring his computer out of sleep mode.

"Did you find anything?" Angeal wondered.

Sephiroth shook his head. "No – not yet," he said. "There aren't any _Skys_ in the database, so let's try _Cloud…"_

He leaned forward and quickly typed in the new search string.

"Cloud Strife?" he asked, turning the monitor around so that Angeal could see the boy's photograph. "Is this the troublemaker?" he sneered, as he noticed that the boy looked like a deer caught in the headlights with the freaked out, frozen expression on his face.

Angeal solemnly nodded. "Yes, that would be him," he said, noting the wild, disorderly blond bangs.

He squinted, reading the text that accompanied the most badly taken photograph he had ever seen.

"And it appears…he's been written up for truancy…a lot." he observed with disappointment.

"Yes, so it appears," Sephiroth said, with a clipped tone as he windowed out of the database, "and now he's being written up for curfew. He looks like quite an upstanding kid – definitely a candidate for SOLDIER 1st Class."

_Anyhow…_

"I believe you said something about wanting to make plans for tomorrow," Sephiroth said, as Angeal started for the door. "What did you have in mind?"

Angeal stopped right beside the doorway and smiled at his friend. "I would like to have dinner with you and GR," he said. "My treat."

Sephiroth arched a silver eyebrow. "You're not paying for all three of us," he growled. He opened a sliding drawer and reached for his wallet. "How much?" he asked. "Give me a price range for the restaurant. I'll pay my share in advance."

Angeal warningly held up his hands. "You don't have to pay," he firmly said, as Sephiroth approached him with the money, "because I'll be cooking for us."

Sephiroth stiffened, not liking the sound of that. "You don't need to do that," he protested. "I can order the food so you don't have to –"

Angeal waved his hand dismissively. "I have it covered," he said with finality, determined not to let Sephiroth take over his event. "No one will need to go food shopping."

He watched Sephiroth's eyes narrow with annoyance.

"My mother sent me a box of dumbapples from Banora and I'm going to make a pie. Does Banora white apple pie sound good to you?"

"I –" Sephiroth started to say something, but Angeal read what he was thinking and cut him off before he could say it.

"Don't worry about the cooking, I have it covered," the black-haired man reassured his friend. "It won't be too much work for me and…well…you should probably take it easy so you don't put additional stress on your back with the cooking when –"

Sephiroth scowled. "It's not a big deal," he snorted, irritated that Angeal was being overly concerned about the _minor_ problem that he had been having with his back. "Thank you for your concern, but…I know my health."

 _So you say._ Angeal tensed. If there was one thing Sephiroth hated, it was feeling useless.

"Well….I could use your help cutting apples," Angeal said, hoping that his friend would not be too insulted when he refused to let him do more than cut up apples at the table. There was no way he was going to let Sephiroth be responsible for a chore like lugging the heavy barbecue onto the balcony. "Does apple cutting sound good?"

Sephiroth nodded. "It sounds good," he said, gritting his teeth as a piercing wave of pain washed over his back.

"Ok, I'll save the apples for you then, and..." Angeal trailed off, as he saw how uncomfortable and unhappy his friend looked.

"And?" Sephiroth glowered at him.

 _And...I think that you should schedule an appointment with a physical therapist to have your chronic back problems checked out,_ Angeal mentally grimaced, knowing that Sephiroth would get pissed at him for suggesting such a thing. _But I doubt that you would listen to my advice,_ he lamented, _Because Professor Hojo has made you mistrust doctors._

Angeal winced. _Perhaps Genesis will be able to convince the Director to make you stop seeing the Sadist,_ he hopefully thought.

 _He seems to have a rapport going with Mr. Lazard,_ he sighed, as he recalled how Genesis had taken it upon himself to go to the Director and argue for less time with Hojo on behalf of Sephiroth.

~************~

_The Director had been reluctant at first to cut back on the visits to see Hojo. He had insisted that it would be wrong of him to undermine his star professor's authority and made excuses, but Genesis had been relentless and unwilling to back down._

_"The extra visits are interfering with his job," GR had argued. "He's overloaded enough as it is and these appointments don't help."_

_"I also am bewildered by the results Hojo expects to find," Genesis had skeptically said. "Does he truly believe Sephiroth is suddenly going to develop new powers? All these extra tests do is force him to jump through hoops like a trained circus monkey. If Hojo wants to keep playing ringmaster and cracking the whip, so be it, but it seems like a gross and unnecessary use of company resources to me to make this a four time a week thing."_

_"The way I look at it….If something new was going to turn up, Sephiroth would have shown it by now, but there have been no new developments for nearly two years. Everyone peaks after a while and I think Sephiroth may have found his peaking point….so….all Hojo is doing is being grossly inefficient with the company."_

_"Since Sephiroth seems stable," Genesis had suggested, "why not use the time Hojo spends with Sephiroth to experiment on me instead? I'm healthy, agile, and Hollander would love to work with me."_

_"What do you say, Director? Is it a deal?"_

_And Lazard had said yes - much to Genesis' best friend's chagrin._

_"Genesis," Angeal had demanded to know, on the way out the door, "are you aware of what you are doing?"_

_"Yes," Genesis had calmly replied, "I'm aware."_

_"The reasons you gave in the board room for going ahead with this did not sound like good ones to me. You know how much perfection Sephiroth demands from himself. If he finds out you offered yourself to be Hollander's guinea pig so you could challenge the image that he has of himself, he won't react well."_

_Genesis had merely shrugged. "Sephiroth can have his glory," he had replied, "I could care less how famous he is. All that fame and glory is empty fame and glory if Hojo is subjecting him to all that crap."_

_"So you're offering to be the punching bag? You do realize how much pressure this places on you; if they fail to get the results from you that they want, they'll resume what they are doing to Sephiroth. You will be under constant pressure to be the hero. Can you handle that kind of pressure?"_

_Genesis had nodded. "I would rather have this kind of pressure than no pressure at all," he had said._

"Thank god!" Cloud Strife slipped into his dorm and quickly closed the door.

 _I didn't think I would make it home in time,_ he thought, as he picked up his course schedule, skimmed through it, and saw that his classes for the day were _The Promise of Shinra, Mako Energy and the Environment_ and _Breakthroughs in Science_.

"Ye god." Cloud threw down his schedule.

 _Perhaps I should take a leave of absence from class,_ Cloud mused, and then instantly reconsidered the idea. Having to sit in detention for being truant would just mess things up. He did not need to be cooling his heels in detention hall when he needed to figure out what the Planet wanted him to do.

~************~

"Hmm...looks like I've been busy." Cloud picked up a recent assessment written by his gym teacher.

His eyes narrowed as he read the piece of paper, and when he put it down, he felt disheartened.

 _I'll need to do a lot better if I want to make SOLDIER,_ he told himself, as he flipped through his school supplies. _I..._

 _I can't believe I'm thinking about SOLDIER!_ Cloud cringed, as he realized that he had been considering pursuing his failed dream again.

~************~

Cloud wrapped his covers around himself. He rested his eyes as he sank back into his pillow and tried to deal with the mixed emotions that he was feeling. Joining SOLDIER would have been wrong then, but what about applying to take the SOLDIER entrance exams now?

If he applied to take the exams, he _knew_ that he had a very strong chance of getting into SOLDIER. He was smarter, more mature now, and knew where he had gone wrong the last time.

Cloud sighed. He was not yet sure what his reasons were for considering the exams. Part of him worried that he was once again thinking about the exams with the wrong reasons in mind. He was certain the Planet had not intended for him to go back and use the time granted to him to achieve a personal dream when he needed to save his friends. On the other hand…fulfilling his dream might be necessary to preserve all he cherished. Given the difficulties that he would be facing, Cloud could see how it would be beneficial for him to join SOLDIER, receive training and get mako injections. Without mako in his body and conditioning to restore it to as close a state as it had been in before the Planet had claimed him, Cloud knew that he would have a rough time fighting Shinra.

No, he would not have a rough time fighting Shinra - he would get killed, and everyone he loved would die a horrible death when Sephiroth summoned Meteor to blow up the Planet. Making it into SOLDIER was not merely a hope and dream of his – it was _imperative_ he get into SOLDIER so all that he loved would endure.

~************~

Cloud sat up and began to think about the things that he needed to do to prevent a repeat of Nibelheim.

The first thing that came to mind was dealing with the bitch - Jenova.

Aeris had cautioned him that the Calamity from the Skies had returned to the reactor, and Cloud wanted to make killing her one of his top priorities.

Getting back to Nibelheim to kill the bitch, however, would not be easy when he was a broke student. It would take him awhile to save enough money to pay for a ride back home. With a round trip from Nibelheim to Midgar costing three hundred gil and his parents sending him forty gil every three weeks, it would take several months before he had the funds to see Jenova off.

Precautions would also have to be taken in case he failed to kill Jenova. Proof would need to be obtained in order to convince Sephiroth that she was not his birth mother. Waking Vincent Valentine up would be good for a start, but there was no guarantee that Sephiroth would take Vincent's word. Sephiroth would likely see Vincent as one of the humans he needed to kill, making it essential to have additional proof to back up their story. Reports from Professor Gast confirming that Jenova was _not_ an Ancient and letters from Hojo that confirmed that Lucrecia had been injected with Jenova poison would be invaluable….if someone could locate them. Hojo had supposedly shredded the damning letters he had written and nobody knew where Professor Gast's papers were stored. Gast's records had vanished the day the Professor was murdered.

~*************~

As he thought about how he would locate the missing papers, it occurred to Cloud that he would need to be careful not to arouse Sephiroth's suspicions while he searched for information. Unless it became a matter of life and death, Sephiroth must not suspect that he was "special" until Cloud had gathered sufficient evidence to disprove Gast's theories. Cloud would have to be careful to conceal his activities and suppress his emotions, because even the slightest slip on his part would be sufficient to alert the highly observant general that things were not right. If Sephiroth got the feeling that something was wrong, he would take matters into his own hands, launch an investigation of his own, and the outcome would be bad for everyone.

Choosing how to reveal the truth to Sephiroth about his origins also posed a problem for Cloud. He did not know Sephiroth well enough to know how the general would react to finding out the truth, but he doubted Sephiroth would handle it well. There would be repercussions of some sort and it frightened Cloud to think that the repercussions might be violent. Instead of burning Nibelheim down, the general might decide to annihilate Shinra Headquarters and roast the science department. At the very least, Hojo would end up pinned to the wall with Masamune through his back. Revealing the truth to Sephiroth would mark Hojo for death.

As much as Cloud wanted to see Hojo burn in a bubbling vat of organ melting liquid, he questioned whether it was right to be the one to trigger the events that would lead to Hojo taking an acid bath. Although he loathed Hojo with all his being, it felt wrong to set Sephiroth on him, and it felt like it would be a manipulation of Sephiroth to provide the man with information that Cloud knew would cause him to hunt down Hojo. Perhaps, if some piece of damaging information turned up that would ensure Hojo would rot in a jail cell forever, Sephiroth would decide not to hunt the slimy man down. There would be no need to kill Hojo if the twisted scientist ended up in prison for murder.

~************~

The effect Sephiroth's friends had on the general's well-being would also need to be taken into consideration.

Cloud remembered a conversation that he had had with Zack the night before Sephiroth had set Nibelheim on fire, all too well, and it made him question to what extent losing his two friends had unhinged the general.

" _Something's wrong with him,"_ Zack had said, _"and it worries me. When Angeal and Genesis left, he started to withdraw from everyone, and then he started locking himself in the Shinra Archives, reading information. At first, it seemed like no big deal, but then it got harder to pull him out of the Archives, and when I came back from Junon, a friend told me that he had stayed inside there for a month! That's when I knew…"_

" _I did some snooping,"_ Zack had gone on, _"to find out what he was reading. In the beginning, I thought that he was looking at Hollander's research, trying to find out how Hollander fit into all this, but then I found out that he wasn't just looking up information on Hollander…he was also looking up information about himself. One of the pieces he had pulled out was this record of all his accomplishments and he'd drawn circles around certain dates and put question marks by them as if…as if he was questioning these accomplishments."_ Zack had slammed his fist against the headboard of his bed. _"It was like losing his friends had made him question his abilities…like he didn't feel he deserved these honors, because he failed to protect them."_ Zack had bared his teeth in a snarl. _"I could see how he would feel he had failed,"_ he had continued _. "That bastard Genesis was always guilt tripping him and telling him 'you're not a good hero' – some shit like that. It supposedly went on like that for years. I think Genesis may have finally gotten to him and messed him up in the head."_

" _The three of them were best friends?"_

" _Yeah, they were,"_ Zack had replied. " _Angeal used to draw. When he showed me his sketchbook, I found this goofy picture of the three of them. He had drawn a picture of a scale…you know, a balance…and they had each doodled cartoon versions of themselves sitting on the scale. There were three grown men sitting on that scale, but neither side was off-kilter, because all sides of the scale were equal. It was as if Angeal was trying to say they all balanced each other…"_ He had shaken his head and sighed. _"Forget what I said. I don't know how close they were. Maybe I'm mistaken and they weren't as close as I thought. You don't treat your friends the way Genesis has treated Sephiroth. I'm probably reading too much into it to say that the picture shows they balanced each other – disregard what I said. It's just a goofy picture..._

 _No,_ Cloud disagreed, _It wasn't just a goofy picture. They **were** close friends and they completed each other. _

He could not bring himself to believe that the Planet would have permitted Sephiroth's life to be cruel, sad and lonely. He also was unwilling to accept that the three men had come together so Genesis could spend several fun-filled years belittling Sephiroth and making him feel like shit. Based on everything he knew about the mistrustful general, he also could not believe that Sephiroth would have kept a friend like that in his life unless there had been substantial trust between them. There was no other way to rationalize why Sephiroth had shut good, kindhearted Zack out, but let someone who supposedly guilt tripped and belittled him for years in.

~************~

Cloud pressed his palms together and closed his eyes.

He had a feeling that Genesis and Angeal's betrayal had significantly contributed to the unbalanced state of mind Sephiroth had been in when he razed Nibelheim. Zack's story strongly suggested that the betrayal had greatly affected Sephiroth and Cloud had not yet taken into consideration the chaos that the friends had caused. The grisly manner in which Angeal had died and Genesis' terrorist actions would have profoundly upset Sephiroth.

 _I can understand why he locked himself up in the Archives,_ Cloud thought. _I would have wanted time to myself if I had…holy…_

Suddenly, it occurred to Cloud…

 _What he did with the Archives parallels what he did in the Shinra mansion,_ Cloud sadly realized. _When he holed himself up in the basement of the Shinra mansion, he was searching for clues about his origins, and when he sealed himself in the Shinra Archives, he was reading books about himself and questioning his accomplishments. Questioning whether he was human did not start with Nibelheim – he was doing it as early as when Zack was shipped out to Junon. Not only was he starting to become unhinged as a consequence of his friends' desertion, but their betrayal also made him question whether he was human. He saw what Hollander had done to them and started wondering whether his own accomplishments were genuine or enhanced._

Now that Cloud understood this, it significantly changed how he viewed things, and it made him realize just how difficult his task was going to be. His initial hope had been that he could keep Sephiroth in the dark, but he did not see how he could protect Sephiroth if events beyond his control were going to pop up and set the general off. He did not see how he could prevent Genesis from discovering he was terminally ill, going off the deep end, and unhinging Sephiroth.

 _Just because it happened that way in the past, doesn't mean it will happen the same way this time,_ Cloud reminded himself. _People are not the way they were the last time this happened. For all I know, Genesis and Angeal are going to be in perfect health and we won't have any terminally ill conditions to worry about._

~************~

As he turned his lamp off, Cloud thought about how different some of the people he remembered were turning out to be in this world.

He was still having a hard time wrapping his mind around it all and had a feeling that when he woke up in the morning and his courses thrust him back into the middle of the Shinra social scene it was going to be so messed up. Meeting old enemies and friends again was going to be so hard and catching up with Zack at the end of the day when his friend was off-duty was going to be the hardest of all.

Cloud leaned back into his pillows and silently prayed that Zack would be the same fun-loving, optimistic guy who had befriended him. He knew that he would freak if they met up and the reincarnated Zack turned out to be sullen and moody or was a rude bully. He highly doubted that Zack would be so extreme, but his encounter with the immature Reno had caused him to realize he could not expect people to be as they were.

~************~

Cloud shook his head in disgust as he replayed what had happened in the Slums in his head. He grimaced as he recalled how Reno had mouthed off in the Church, tossed cigarette butts on the ground and suggested that he demand a cash reward for the earring that Aeris had given him.

 _I have no desire,_ Cloud thought, as he slid the box Aeris had given him out from under his pillow and removed the lid, _to get to know someone who is that greedy. Aeris asked me to return the earring - not do as Reno recommended and hold the earring hostage_.

 _Perhaps I should print up fliers and go from department to department,_ he mused, realizing that the chain dangling from the ear clip was pure silver and the rectangular beads cascading down the chain were diamond.

Sephiroth swiveled around in his chair as the phone on his desk hummed softly. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the clock and noticed that it was ten forty-five at night. Heaven help the person on the other end of the line if it turned out to be someone from the science department calling to remind him that he was due for an appointment with Hojo. He would take their reminders, shove them down their throat and verbally skewer them for interrupting his work, and if they were particularly nasty about it, he would pay a visit to their supervisor tomorrow and see what he could do to get them fired. _"General's_ office," he growled in a clipped tone, as he irritably picked up the receiver. "What can I do for you?"

Soft laughter greeted him on the other end of the line and Sephiroth calmed down. This was _not_ a good time to call, but he would not hold it against the other man.

 _I cannot get mad at you over something as trivial as this_.

"What are you doing up so late at night?" Sephiroth asked.

"Sitting in my apartment watching videos of Angeal's protégée," was the bored reply. "Angeal wanted to get my advice. It seems his ingénue is having some 'technique' issues and he wants to get them corrected before he walks into Lazard's office and recommends the kid for a promotion." He snorted. "There's a lot of good stuff here," he said, "but when the bad occurs, it really sticks out. I've been spectacularly unimpressed watching his sense of timing. So far I've seen him get knocked down trying to put up a Wall around himself and get swarmed. I can't believe he screwed up his opportunity to clean out the entire room. It's bewildering." There was a pause. "Do you remember that training simulation where they stick you in a room and you have to defeat wave after wave of digital infantrymen?"

Sephiroth nodded. "Yes, I know which one you are referring to."

"I discovered a nice way to clean the place out. I found that when they spawned, you could just stand in the corner with your back against the wall so they can only come at you from the front, then if you time your attack right, you can take them out with one hit. Toss a Thundaga at them at the right moment and they're charred meat."

"Yes, I can imagine," the general said, as he got up and went to the door, sliding the bolt shut. "I am assuming the reason you remind me of this is because Angeal's student discovered your trick, took too long trying it and the simulation beat him down?"

There was a silent, unspoken affirmation on the other end.

"That would be painful to watch," he said, not really interested that Zack Fair had failed the simulation. It was unreasonable to expect a 2nd Class SOLDIER to have the endurance to get through an hour long simulation using those kind of tactics. "I'm surprised you can see the TV screen. You must have gone blind watching a performance like that."

He leaned into the receiver, listening for any sounds of outrage at having been teased.

"So," Sephiroth asked, "what are you going to do about it? Spend some time with him and help him get it right?"

"Oh no, you know I won't do that," was the arrogant response. "I never mentor anyone – that is for people like Angeal! But I will give Mr. Honorable a few pointers so he can get the little one properly trained."

Sephiroth arched an eyebrow. "I assume you did not call me during my work hours to rant about Zack?" he inquired, hoping that this was not going to turn into a bitch session.

"No," was the annoyed reply, "I'm not calling to rant at you. I'm calling you to let you know that I will be tele-conferencing my way to the meeting tomorrow instead of commuting there as originally planned. I had to switch my schedule around to accommodate…someone and their…plans."

Was that hesitation he sensed on the line? "You met tonight," Sephiroth said. "And now you are saying that he wants to see you tomorrow also? How did tonight go?"

Forty-five seconds of silence passed.

"Hello?" he growled, wondering why it was so difficult to answer the damned question. He was not at all used to hesitancy between them, because they were normally direct and upfront with each other. No, not normally – they were _always_ direct and upfront with each other. He would not have it any other way. "How was tonight?"

"It was _fine,"_ the exasperated answer came at last, "about as fine as it can be visiting someone like that. I came in, he read off the report and then I talked to him for a bit. He's been trying to talk me into switching to a broadsword – thinks that I've finally built up the muscle to use a heavier sword – but I told him no, I don't want to switch to a heavier sword, because I like the lightness and weight of what I am using now. I told him what some of the advantages were of using such a blade and…I think he agreed with me…I am not…" The voice on the other end strained. "I'm – I'm not sure. He didn't talk much…when someone is like that, they can't really talk, can they, because it hurts?"

"No," Sephiroth said, "they can't really talk when they're in that condition."

"I thought not," was the solemn response. "In that case, I won't try to talk to him when I see him tomorrow. I'm not even sure I'll see him tomorrow anyway…it will probably be an assistant who sees me. He looked bad tonight…worse than I've seen him before. He goes into the hospital soon."

Sephiroth nodded, not sure what to say. He was not good talking about death and neither was his comrade. If only they could change the subject…

"Perhaps you could show me why you like to use a light sword," the general suggested, "and I could show you why I like to use a long, heavy blade. Would you be interested?" He made a note to himself to wait a few days, so Angeal would believe him when he told him that yes, he felt better, and his back was all good and well. Angeal would freak out if he learned that he was proposing a match when his back was hurting like hell. "Say in two weeks from now? Would that be good?"

"Two weeks from now, eh? What time?"

Sephiroth thought quickly. "Late at night," he said, "when the 2nds won't be using the training room. I can let us in the room and we can have a good match. Sharpen your sword and bring your strongest materia – I'll be disappointed if you show up with that training materia. Energy, Tri-Thundaga…give me a challenge."

"I wouldn't give you anything less than my best," his friend promised, "and I don't use training materia." There was yet another pause. "What do you want to do about Angeal?" he asked. "Do you want this to be between us or can he come along?"

Hmm, that was a tough call. If they brought Angeal along, the First Sergeant would be nagging him about his health and trying to tone down the difficulty of the match. And if they did not invite Angeal along, it could hurt the other man's feelings and strain their friendship...

"He can come if he wants," Sephiroth reluctantly said, "but I don't want him interfering. If he tries to stop the match or pulls the power switch and kills the simulation, I'm assigning him to spend time with the 3rd Class students. He can spend a day with them giving them inspiring, uplifting speeches about honor...and following one's dreams."

"I'm sure Angeal will be scared," Genesis said, and with that, they ended their call.


	4. Convergence

**Chapter Four - Convergence**

_Outskirts of Kalm - εуλ 0010, 8 months after the Deepground incident_

Genesis circled his campsite, searching for clues that would help him locate Cloud Strife. The cunning young deliveryman had somehow managed to slip away when he had had Firaga fireballs bearing down upon him, and Genesis was now in a state of panic. The cruel, intolerant things that Cloud had said to him left zero doubt in his mind that the swordsman regarded him as a monster who needed to be put in a cage, and Genesis had no desire to spend the rest of his life in jail.

_The last time I checked my itinerary, fleeing from armed Turks was not listed as part of my vacation,_ Genesis now bitterly thought, as he debated whether it would be a good idea to ambush Cloud as he made his way down the cliff. _Nor was dealing with little blond brats,_ he snarled - deciding that he could not afford to "disable" Cloud and leave his body for Reeve and Co. to find.

_I have no desire to reclaim my title as Public Enemy #1_. _Let's save that distinction for Deepground,_ he sneered, reaching into the thick growth to retrieve the duffel bag that he had hidden beneath the thorns, sticks and stems. _And that Rosso bitch_. _I'm sure she'd leap at the opportunity to hunt me down if she is still alive,_ he growled, his thoughts turning to the beloved blade that had shared so many adventures with him. _And take my head,_ he raged, as he plunged his hand into the pile of leaves he slept in, feeling for his sword.

"Are you here, old friend?" the fallen man whispered.

His fingers closed around the hilt of his buried blade.

"Are you ready to fight for me again?" he wondered.

_Yes, you are,_ he silently concluded, as he freed his Rapier from its confinement and slid out, exhuming it from its leafy prison.

"Welcome back, my friend," he murmured. "It's good to see you again," he purred, as he picked up his weapon and prepared to leave Kalm forever.

~*********~

Genesis hobbled unsteadily along the side of the cliff, weighed down by the sword sheathed at his side and the duffel bag dangling precariously from his neck. The thought of flying to Modeoheim with this much baggage dangling from his body frightened him, and as he unfurled his wing and prepared to take flight, his body rebelled against him.

"Damn." The auburn-haired commander swore when his left leg buckled.

Using his wing to balance the right side of his body, he limped through the mud, staggering about like a marionette with broken joints. As his wing whipped about and the giant end feathers lashed at the dirt, disturbing the soil, he frantically tried to even himself so his body would not be flailing about, unsupported and off-kilter. Winded by the weight of his sword and the duffel bag, he stumbled to the edge of the cliff, and...

....paused, knowing that he needed to take a moment to recover.

_I will only endanger myself if I try to launch myself into the air, now,_ he seethed, peering down at the community lot at the bottom of the cliff and seeing rows of houses flickering faintly in the dark. _And I think I've put myself in enough dangerous situations,_ he grimaced, suddenly aware of how transient he was relative to the people who lived in those houses.

_They will never have to worry about fleeing to the outskirts,_ he wearily thought, turning away from the houses and trying to remember what life had been like when he had had a permanent place to live, _for everything in their lives is fixed. Unchanging. And firmly anchored down,_ he lamented, trying to recall the good times that he had spent with his friends in his apartment, in Midgar; the peaceful moments he had had curled up in his bedroom with _LOVELESS;_ and the joyful feeling he had felt when he had come home and his cat had run up to the door to greet him.

_And everything about my life is..._

_...chaotic, unstable and full of upheaval,_ he mourned.

Genesis sighed as his attempt to reconstruct his memories failed, and he found that the good times that he wanted to remember had become nothing more than fragmented, blurred images that floated before him, unable to be solidified into something substantial and whole.

_Perfect life for a perfect monster,_ he despaired, as he cupped his forehead with his hands and wondered why memories that had been vivid and clear to him suddenly seemed fragmented and fuzzy.

_Am I intentionally suppressing them,_ he asked himself, as he grasped at what he hoped would be a positive memory, and...

...found himself recoiling at the image that came to mind, for out of all the things that there were to remember, his memories from _that summer_ were the ones that he wanted most to forget.

~************~

_Genesis blinked in confusion as he saw his twenty-five-year-old self sitting at the edge of the couch in his living room. A spiky-haired cadet, whose features he could not clearly make out, was sitting in the chair opposite from him. And the cadet had pieces of the most elaborate looking sword he had ever seen sprawled out on the coffee table and was showing it to him._

_"What's its name?" he heard himself skeptically ask._

_"First Tsurugi," he was unimpressed to hear the cadet reply._

_"An unnecessarily complicated name and an overly complicated sword," he listened to his younger self sneer, as he stared at the ridiculous sword on the table, and wondered if he had been drugged up when this conversation-that-he-could-not-recall-having had occurred. "A sword like that is only going to cause problems for you. You would do better to choose one of the lighter, shorter swords than to use that…monstrosity. You are not going to impress anyone when you eject all those blades on the examiners' heads. Sometimes simpler is better– you would do well to learn that, Cadet Str..."_

~************~

_"I am disgusted. I can't believe they did this," he heard Angeal say, as the cadet faded away._

_"I can't believe they didn't do it sooner," he heard Sephiroth disgustedly reply, as he found himself groggily propped up in the rocking chair in his living room, "Hojo's been pushing for a lifelong contract and now he's finally gotten what he's wanted. This is going to be an excruciating weekend…"_

_"Because you were invited to attend the celebration party for Hojo," he heard himself rasp, as his two best friends came into focus._

_"The non-optional, mandatory, must attend party," he heard Sephiroth rant._

_"I could go instead," he heard himself offer, "so you don't have to go."_

_"No," he heard Sephiroth firmly say, "that's quite all right. You need to focus on getting better. You've been..."_

~************~

_"You've...been sick..." Genesis numbly murmured, as Sephiroth was swallowed up, and he found himself..._

_...curled up in a corner with his knees drawn up to his chest and his back pressed against the wall._

_He whimpered as Angeal appeared and his friend's strong, protective arms wrapped themselves around his neck, and when his companion tried to pull him away from the wall, he found himself clawing at the thick, white carpet and dragging his knees and wing along the floor. He felt tears tickle down his face as he realized that he was reliving the day that his wing had emerged, and he heard himself cry out in anguish as he gazed at the floor and saw blood and black feathers everywhere._

_"Angeal, don't touch me..." he heard himself sob, as his shoulder muscles burned. "Please....just...go away," he listened to himself moan, as he tried to drown out everything around him and became a blank slate, incapable of feeling any emotional pain. "Let me...deal with this."_

_"No, you need me now," he was not surprised to hear Angeal say, as he withdrew so deeply into himself that everything melted away and it felt as if there were no other people in the world._

_"I'm your friend and I'm not going to let you deal with this on your own," he thought he heard his friend promise him, as Angeal picked him up and carried him into the bathroom of his apartment._

_"SOLDIER 3rd Class Strife, I need you to stand outside the door!" he heard Angeal bark into his cell phone. "No one is to come in this room! Not even Sephiroth! You got that?"_

_"Sephiroth…" he found himself groaning. "He is…"_

_"He is your friend, Genesis. You did a good thing for him. Don't take this out on him. Be mad at Hollander for feeling the need to share the joys of his cancer with..."_

~************~

Where had all of _that_ come from? Genesis asked himself, as Angeal melted away and he found himself standing on a cliff again on the outskirts of Kalm. Cloud Strife had never made it into SOLDIER, not even at the unenviable 3rd Class level. The boy's lack of self-confidence had led the scientists to conclude that he would never be able to survive the mako treatments that were essential to the SOLDIER program, and had shown him the door accordingly.

And Hollander with cancer? That had never happened. The overly arrogant doctor had been in perfect physical health, right up until Genesis had run him through with Rapier in a fit of rage and sent the disgusting little maggot running for the cloning equipment.

_Why am I thinking these things?_ he wondered, and yet...

...deep down, Genesis _knew_ why he was thinking this way.

As he stared blankly at the steep walls of the surrounding cliffs, Genesis had to acknowledge that he had been so distraught that day that he had taken his friend's words and twisted them into his own unique interpretation. Driven to the brink of his physical and emotional limits, he had been on the verge of snapping when Angeal had stepped in. Had it not been for his best friend's undeniably calming presence, Genesis knew that his rage would have pushed him to take Hollander's life and to _hell_ with the consequences.

Looking back at it now, Genesis could see that twisting Angeal's words had been his way of dealing with the horror that his reality had become. In his mind, he had interposed cancer onto Hollander as an act of self-preservation, to keep himself from ripping Hollander out of the fabric of The Planet the way that he had longed to, and he had managed to preserve a small shred of his rapidly dwindling humanity.

Still...

...that didn't explain why he had so inexplicably superimposed _Cloud Strife_ into that dark period of his life.

Cloud Strife was one of the last people he would have wanted around him on that awful day and the thought of the abrupt, rude and singularly uneducated brat standing outside the door of his apartment listening to him sob and howl sickened him.

_It was bad enough having someone I trusted there with me,_ he thought, as he covered his face with his hands. _I was going out of my mind, because I didn't want Angeal there, and I think if Sephiroth had been around, I wouldn't have wanted him around either_.

~************~

No, not _wouldn't have –_ Genesis was absolutely _one hundred percent positive_ he would not have wanted Sephiroth around. If the general had walked through the door when things had been that bad, Genesis was certain that he would have struck out at the man. Pushed beyond his limits, the commander knew that he would have pounded Sephiroth relentlessly, making sure the general knew that it was _his_ fault that Hollander had gotten his slimy hands on him and injected him with this crap. Sephiroth would have stood in the room, horrified, as Genesis hammered away at him, letting him know that he had volunteered to be Hollander's experiment to keep Hojo from hurting him and that all this blood was the consequence of the sacrifice that he had made for his sake.

Determined to hurt Sephiroth to the fullest, he would have thrown every nasty thing he had learned about Sephiroth back in his face.

Using his words to cripple, he would have tried to shatter Sephiroth's willpower by painting an unflattering psychological portrait of his friend, letting Sephiroth know that if he had not been such a weak, cowardly doormat, his friends would not have had to pay the price for intervening on his behalf.

Wanting Sephiroth to feel the weight of his misery, he would have attacked Sephiroth where he knew he could hurt the man the most, demanding to know if Sephiroth had inherited such awful personality traits from his father or from the mother who had died giving birth to him.

Sinking lower than he had ever sunk before, he would have cruelly told the silver-haired swordsman, in his mad rage, that it was fortunate such a woman had been spared the pain of seeing her son grow up to be an invalid for the science department. Sephiroth would have been devastated, listening to him say that he was through enabling such a sickly child to be a cripple and...

~************~

Goddess, but he didn't want to imagine what he would have done if it had been Sephiroth, and not Angeal, who had walked into that room.

No! Wait! He had _done it, just not on that day!_ Instead of doing it on that day, he had waited until Nibelheim.

Unable to turn his rage upon Hollander, because the man held the promise for a cure, he had unjustly directed his anger at Sephiroth. As his body had grown weaker and weaker and the life that had once seemed endless to him had felt as if it could now only be measured in minutes, his misguided anger had known no bounds. When he had stumbled across the general reading Project G reports in Hollander's office, his rage had been so immense, that had Zack not been trying to make off with his doctor, he would have gladly lashed out at Sephiroth on the spot!

And when he had approached Sephiroth for a cure and the man had turned him down....

...he had exploded.

_~************~_

Genesis stared up at the starry sky sprawling out above him. As he gazed up at the distant white stars, creeping across the sky, he looked back, trying to remember the angry words he and Sephiroth had exchanged at Nibelheim.

_"Why do you insist on helping the people who create monsters?" he imagined himself saying. "The science department betrayed me and Angeal…and they betrayed you too! If you would accept what you are, you would cease aiding and abetting them and help me!"_

_"After the things that you have done, I cannot believe anything that you tell me," he pictured Sephiroth snarling. "How can you call me a monster when you were the one who murdered my men and threw them off a cliff. I cannot forgive or forget that."_

_"And I cannot forgive or forget what they did to Angeal," he heard himself snapping. "If you had been there that day, you would have…Sephiroth, I can show you everything you need that will convince you….there is a library in the basement with books inside it...."_

_"NO! I will not go anywhere with you. If you have proof, produce it!" he remembered Sephiroth insisting._

_"We won't have to leave the room," he vividly recalled himself saying, "when all the proof I need is here…"_

_"If I have fallen so far in your eyes that you cannot trust my words, no matter what I say…take this book, and turn to page 50 and you will find the answers that you have sought all your life. And –if you raise your hand to your eyes...and then repeat my gestures, you will no longer have any doubts."_

_"Sephiroth, you must believe me! My..."_

~********~

"...My life depends on it," Genesis sighed, as he stared blankly at the cliff walls and tried to make sense of it all. "It..."

_It hadn't gone exactly that way, had it?_

He seemed to recall ranting and raving about Jenova and mocking Sephiroth for the delusions he had conjured up in his head about his mother…but…he could not remember the exact words that he had used. It was all a blur in his mind because he had been so out of it that day, pushed beyond his limit and reeling from pain killing drugs that had left him less than lucid.

And ultimately, he told himself, as he let his mind wander, it did not matter whether he remembered the words that they had exchanged for he could not go back and change the fact that Sephiroth had refused to help him and that refusal had caused him to finally lash out, unleashing the misguided anger he had kept bottled up inside.

_We cannot change the past,_ he helplessly thought, as he closed his eyes.

"Oh - ew."

Mrs. Williams pulled the curtains back and stared out her window with narrowed eyes. She had hoped Strife would have returned by now to pick up his motorbike, but it appeared that he had gotten held up, and was not going to be coming back for it any time soon. Frustrated, she headed for her phone to unleash her unholy rage upon Strife Delivery Services, until she realized, mid-dial, that she did not have the deliveryman's number.

"Damn it," the elderly lady swore, and pulled away from the window, knowing that if she spent another minute staring at the eyesor _e_ outside her house, she would go crazy.

_It is a wonder that he manages to remain in business driving that thing,_ she bitterly thought, as she wandered into the kitchen and decided to look Cloud up in the classified section of the newspaper to see how professionally he advertised his business. _It does not..._

_Wait. What's this? What have we here?_ Mrs. Williams arched her eyebrows as she saw that Cloud Strife was featured in a photo on the third page of the Metro section.

She squinted as she read that Mr. Rufus Shinra wanted to "thank Cloud Strife and Mr. Reeve Tuesti for the hard work that they have done to repair the city". And rolled her eyes, now understanding why Cloud's business was so successful.

_If you know Rufus Shinra, you don't have to worry what impression you give with a trashy motorbike,_ she rolled her eyes, as her thoughts turned towards trashing the newspaper. _You can be as unprofessional looking as you want and Rufus is still going to pay you at the end of the day,_ she scoffed, as she headed for the trash can.

~********~

As she opened the recycle bin, Mrs. William took one last look at the group photograph. She paused, staring long and hard at the intense, unyielding blue eyes that suddenly leaped out at her from the page. She drew in her breath as she took in the haunting, ethereal white tint surrounding the irises of Cloud's eyes. And as she stared harder and harder at the photograph, the more inhuman the eyes became, and the more unsettled she felt.

_Normal people do not have eyes like that,_ she shivered. _Could it be that…_

The newspaper fluttered to the floor as she went to the window and stared at the motorbike sitting in her driveway. Her eyes took in the giant sword hilts erupting from the side racks of the motorbike, the leather sword harness draped over the seat and various other militant looking accessories and gizmos. And she fidgeted uncomfortably - for now that she understood what Cloud Strife was, she felt even more awkward about having his motorbike in her driveway.

_It's a good thing my kids are sleeping over at a friend's house and not asking questions about the swords and motorbike in my driveway,_ she thought, as she backed away from the window and sat down to read a health magazine.

She made herself comfortable at the table, started chewing on nuts and became so engrossed in her magazine that she failed to see the sword hilts sticking out of the side compartments of Cloud's motorbike shimmer and glow, pulsating with a faint blue and green light.

As the particles of light flitting around the hilts separated and spread out to engulf the compartments, the stainless steel blades that made up the First Sword shook, trembling.

Annoyed by the strange light outside her window, Mrs. Williams lazily reached out to pull down her blinds. She did not bother to turn her head to see what the source of the light was.

Mrs. Williams' irritated face was the last thing that the blades making up the First Sword reflected before the light encircling them devoured and consumed them.

As Mrs. Williams pulled the blinds down for the night, six empty sword hilts fell to the ground.

First Tsurugi was gone.

Genesis carefully made his way to the edge of the cliff. He peered down and gazed at the long drop leading to the bottom of the cliff and sighed, knowing in his heart that there was no way that he would be able to safely fly to Modeoheim with this much luggage weighing him down.

_It appears that I am going to be forced to take the train,_ he angrily thought, as he ripped off his flashy, trademark coat, rolled it up in a bundle and stuffed it in his duffel bag. _And trains and I don't mix,_ he sighed, as he tied a black bandanna around his head to conceal his telltale red hair. _All those people..._

"Gah," Genesis moaned, as he concentrated, using his willpower to retract his wing.

He gnashed his teeth and tried to keep his eyes focused on the long black feathers fluttering to the ground as the bones in the wing began to fracture. He stared intently at the spot where feathers were falling all over the place, and he tried not to think about the ulna and radial bones in his wing snapping in two. By concentrating on something else, it usually helped him deal with the sharp, piercing pain that he was forced to endure.

~********~

_The pain was not nearly as bad now as it had been in the beginning, but there were times when it still drove him crazy. Taking his wing in and out hurt like hell, and when his wing was folded up within his body, there were moments where he ached all over. Sometimes it got so bad he stayed up all night, unable to stand the feeling of the wing moving around inside him. Only when his wing was out and extended was he not bothered at all._

_The pain caused by the hateful appendage had also affected the way he fought. Before the wing had made itself known, Genesis had incorporated spins, jumps and materia into his fighting style. Once the appendage had started irritating him, that had changed, and the spins and jumps had had to stop. Unable to fight as physically as he had done in the past, Genesis had looked for ways that he could beat down his opponents by heavily using materia, and had discovered that materia can sometimes be deadlier than a sword._

_Using his agility to his advantage, Genesis had developed a new fighting style that involved running around and relentlessly bombarding his opponents with elemental materia. Crippled by the powerful attacks, his opponents were forced to go defensive, and it was during these moments when they were vulnerable, that Genesis launched his counterattacks. Darting in and out, he barraged them with materia and sword blows. Overwhelmed by the attacks, his opponents had to choose between blocking and parrying. Unable to keep up with doing both, they exhausted themselves, making it an easy task for the commander to finish them off._

_~********~_

_God damn it,_ Genesis snorted, wondering why the goddess of the Planet had not removed the repulsive wing when she had cured him of his degradation.

"Gesture unappreciated, bitch," he snapped, and then instantly regretted his unjust, bitter words, for he could never hate her when she had been the one who had saved his life in Banora.

_~********~_

As he started down the cliff, Genesis wondered if he would ever see her again. He knew that she was out there, _in the dew that quenches the land, in the sand, the seas and the skies,_ but it was not the same as being brought before her. While the features of the Planet reflected her beauty and will, it all paled in comparison to seeing the compassion in her eyes, hearing words of wisdom flow from her lips, and being enveloped by her being. Only by standing before her could one understand her capacity for mercy, be touched by her dreams and know what it was like to be unconditionally loved by someone. Having experienced what it was like to be loved, judged and forgiven by her, not a single day went by when he did not try to improve himself and become a better person for…. his sake, for her sake, for the sake of fulfilling the gift that she had given him.

_~********~_

What was the gift that she had given him?

After being revived by her, he had concluded the gift was Life, but he realized now that that was not the correct conclusion. Standing under the sheltering ledge of the cliff, he could see now that the gift of the goddess was not the gift of Life as he had imagined it to be, but the willingness to make selfless sacrifices for others and not regret the consequences of one's actions.

If only….if only he had known that from the start.

_~********~_

As he stepped across a stream, Genesis asked himself if he could forgive all the emotional manipulation he'd been through as a consequence of the sacrifice that he had made. No, he couldn't forgive or forget it, nor could he accept the horrible appendage that he had developed thanks to the years he had volunteered to be a guinea pig for Hollander.

But was it rewarding to know that the unselfish sacrifice that he had made for Sephiroth had spared the other man from experiencing similar horrors and granted Sephiroth several years of happiness?

Yes, it was rewarding to know that he had protected his friend and given Sephiroth peace.

He had paid dearly for his sacrifice, but he realized now that he did not regret it.

As Genesis made his way down the cliff, the spirit of Ifalna Faremis knelt beside the dusty motorbike parked in Mrs. Williams' driveway. She inspected the empty sword hilts, wondering what plans the Planet had made for the First Sword. Clearly, the Planet intended on returning First Tsurugi to Cloud, but what the Planet expected him to do with the powerful weapon remained to be seen. There was no way of knowing, until the sword was back in Cloud's possession, whether the Planet intended for Strife to fight with First Tsurugi or to construct a new sword for himself using pieces from the old sword.

Given what she had observed through the Lifestream, it was Ifalna's belief that Cloud would eventually wield First Tsurugi again in battle.

Although his teenage body lacked the muscle power to effectively use such a heavy weapon at the moment, Ifalna had little doubt that his handicap would stop Cloud from battling with the First Sword. The Cloud she knew was too determined to let something like his own body interfere with his ability to wield his beloved blade. He would find a way to compensate for his lack of physical strength, either by making changes in the way he fought, or by making modifications to the blade that would make First Tsurugi easier to control and use. She suspected that he would experiment with both and see what suited him the best.

While Ifalna was confident that Cloud would wield First Tsurugi again, she was less confident that he would be able to control the creature that slept within First Sword. She hoped for his sake that he would think twice before calling upon the creature – otherwise he would be in for a very rude surprise.

Having learned not to leave powerful materia lying around, thanks to the Remnants, Cloud had started storing his strongest materia inside the pieces of his sword and carrying them with him at all times. One of the many items that he had put into storage had been a red orb containing the power of Odin, the legendary horseman.

Cloud had discovered the Odin materia in the ruins of the destruction caused by Kadaj and his gang, but he had never made use of it. He had been very tempted to call upon the creature during his battle with Rosso the Crimson, but had interrupted the Summon at the last moment, hesitating to unleash such a powerful monster and have it contribute to the chaos. Having had firsthand experience with the out of control Bahamut Summon the Remnants had used to attack the city, Cloud had become very hesitant to use Summons unless absolutely necessary, and Odin was one of the most powerful and destructive Summons out there.

Hopefully, Cloud would not be in such a hurry to get his skills back that he would mess up and do something dumb like try to summon the creature.

_Cloud is smart,_ Ifalna mused, _But he can also get impatient and when he gets impatient, he can make some very careless mistakes._ So far, however, Cloud had shown no signs of impatience in the other world. He seemed to be cautiously thinking through everything he did. The old Cloud would not have shown such patience or maturity.

Stepping away from the motorcycle and the empty sword hilts, Ifalna wondered how Cloud would approach re-mastering his skills.

Based on what she knew about Cloud, she expected him to spend a lot of time practicing his moves and perfecting his technique out of class. He performed decently in a classroom environment, but was much more comfortable trying to work problems through on his own. He seemed to thrive best when he could learn at his own pace and did not have other people around making him feel self-conscious.

Already, Cloud was doing things that had made her wonder if he was slipping back into his lone wolf ways.

Too restless to sleep, he had woken up in the middle of the night and started practicing crunches. Determined to see how out of shape he was, he had gotten out his sports watch, and timed himself, seeing how many crunches he could do in one minute. Cloud had carefully written down the times, then sneaked onto the computer to compare his times to the top-ranked cadet's scores. While he was at it, he had also checked to see what times the 3rd and 2nd Class SOLDIERs were putting out.

Had he been in the library with the other cadets, Ifalna doubted that Cloud would have compared his times with other peoples' scores, and she couldn't see him being enthusiastic about running through his exercises in front of other people in the gym.

_Yes,_ Ifalna thought, as she stood in the Williams' driveway and considered what she had observed him do back in his dorm room, _He is definitely slipping back into his old ways,_ and depending on how things went, this could be a good or a bad thing.

It would work out if Cloud did well, practicing on his own, but would be a disaster if Cloud ran into problems and his lone wolf tendencies made him reluctant to seek out others and have them assess his skills. There were some skills that were very difficult to improve on one's own, such as sensing when to dodge or block an opponent, and Ifalna hoped that Cloud would not short change himself by avoiding other people. It would be a shame if his reluctance to work with other people and have them help him prevented him from excelling in the entrance exams.

Although she had not been particularly self-conscious as a teenager, Ifalna could empathize with Cloud. She could understand the fear that he had of having his peers holding a magnifying glass up to judge him, because her husband, Professor Gast, had been under pressure and subjected to intense scrutiny. She could see the pressure that Cloud felt when he had his actions constantly judged by others, and had to put up with the burden of knowing that for every decision that he made, thousands of lives would be affected. It was understandable, given the pressure he had been under as hero of Midgar, why Cloud was choosing to isolate himself now from the other cadets. By keeping to himself, she realized, he was trying to minimize contact with his peers that would reinforce his self-conscious doubts.

She could only imagine what he must be thinking.

_Poor Cloud._

She hoped that he would reconsider the lone wolf approach he was taking. Self-conscious fears _would_ hurt him in the long run…

As she thought about how self-conscious fears were affecting Cloud, Ifalna also thought about how Cloud coped with bluntness. From what she had seen, Cloud could be very blunt himself, but he was not very good at taking it, and he had a tendency to take the blunt statements people made to heart and let them ruin his entire day. _Not good…_

If Cloud planned on making it into SOLDIER, he would need to develop a thicker skin, and not let peoples' comments get to him. The instructors he would be dealing with would be brutally honest and the people whom the Planet intended him to save would be even blunter and harder to deal with. When it came time to deal with such people, it would be hard for Cloud.

_I'm used to bluntness and even I've been shocked by some of the things Sephiroth and his friends have said._

Sitting on the Williams' deck underneath the stars, Ifalna recalled some of the brutally honest things that she had heard the three friends say.

" _What do I think of Scarlet? I think she's a waste of space. She seems to get her self-esteem from doing her job badly and enabling others to perform even worse."_

" _You want to know what 'F =))' means? It's simple. I'm very disappointed with your lack of integrity and honor, so I am giving you an 'F' with a smiley-face. Next time – do better."_

" _Dear Angeal, I have reviewed your student's performance and there are many aspects I find lacking. I wish that he would rise up from the dead like a Phoenix and infuse new life into me, because I am finding this extremely uninspiring and it is killing me."_

_Sheesh…_

Knowing Cloud, he would find a way to deal with such strong, blunt personalities, and work with them, but it would definitely be emotionally difficult at first.

_He has a long, hard road ahead of him…_

_~********~_

Ifalna leaned back against the side of the house, letting the wind billow through her spirit body and swirl around her. As she rested her eyes, she became aware that the cell phone left behind in Cloud's motorbike was ringing. Unable to answer the phone, she sat there for two minutes, listening to it bounce wildly about inside one of the motorbike's metal compartments. After what seemed like an eternity, the caller finally gave up and the cell phone finally stopped ringing.

Concerned that the call might be urgent, the spirit of Ifalna tapped into the Lifestream. She reached out, seeking answers from the collective, and gradually became aware of who the caller was. As the souls in the Lifestream surged around her, rising up and washing over her, Ifalna sensed Tifa, standing wearily in the side room of 7th Heaven, a cell phone clutched in her right hand. The girl was starting to become worried about Cloud, who should have been long since back by now.

Sensing the fear and unhappiness in the girl's emotions through the Lifestream, Ifalna wished that she could go to her, and tell her that Cloud was okay, but she could not – for she had used up too much energy traveling back and forth between time. She would have to wait awhile before she could project herself to anyone or go back again to see how Cloud and her daughter were doing. She needed to rest….badly….

Wishing that she had not expended so much of herself, Ifalna stepped into the swirling strands of energy flowing around her. Closing her eyes, she let the energies of the Lifestream envelop her like a curtain and pull her back into the collective. As her ethereal form melted away and she dissolved into a warm sea of blue and green, she whispered a silent prayer for Cloud and his friends.

"Good luck, my child," she whispered, and then…she was gone, born away on the wind.


	5. Zack

**Chapter Five - Zack**

_Midgar - εуλ 0000_

**Author's Note:** _I based Kevin on Kevin-11 from "Ben 10"._

Cloud slouched in his seat, trying to make himself inconspicuous on his first day of class as the inspirational guest speaker raced around the auditorium searching for volunteers. This particular lecturer was quickly turning into his bane with her forced enthusiasm and need to draw everyone into a discussion that nobody seemed interested in getting started. Going into the lecture hall, he had had a feeling that the _Promise of Shinra_ course was going to be bad, but he had had no idea that it was going to be this excruciating with a fake, gung-ho lecturer who was trying to force class participation upon everyone for two hours.

Praying that class participation would not count for half of his grade and that he would not be assigned a section with an equally gung-ho TA, he stared longingly at his sports watch. To his immense relief, he saw that he only had five minutes left before lecture ended and they let him out for lunch.

_Thank god_. Cloud looked around, wondering if anyone else was getting as fidgety as he was, but from where he was seated, he found that he wasn't able to get good views of the other students' faces. The closest person he could see was Reno, seated directly across the aisle from him, but Reno was the odd one out, with feelings that did not accurately reflect the sentiments of the other cadets forced to sit through this train wreck of a class. From what Cloud tell, the tough talking red-haired boy seemed to be enjoying the class …and…enjoying looking at the lecturer's butt.

"Having fun?" Cloud dryly asked.

Reno nodded happily. "Oh yeah," he said, admiring the lecturer's curves. "I'm lovin' every bit of it, yo. Remember that chick I was telling you about on the way home? The Cissnei girl of my dreams? Well, that's her, yo. She so fine, she so fine, wish that I could make her mine. I'd eat her up all the time."

Cloud rolled his eyes as Reno continued to drool. _What a genius._

"Maybe you should tell her how 'fine' she is," he sarcastically said, and then regretted saying it, because he would not put it past Reno to go down there and start flirting with her soon as class let out. "On second thought," he said, in an exasperated tone of voice, "don't do that. She's probably tired out from lecturing and it wouldn't go over well and…and well…Reno, have you thought about crushing on someone who's closer to your own age?"

Reno shook his head. "Na-ope!" he said. "That's my girl…"

"You're hopeless," Cloud said, leaning forward and pressing his knuckles against his chin.

Reno annoyed him to no end, but Cloud couldn't say that at that moment, he didn't feel sorry for him, knowing that he was going to get rejected if tried to pick up the Turk lady. A part of him also felt equally sorry for the poor woman, who seemed ill at ease on the stage in her tight black gown and strappy open-toed shoes.

"I'm surprised that she's the guest lecturer," Cloud admitted, "I thought that they'd bring in a SOLDIER 1st to lecture, not a Turk. I didn't know that the Turks were involved with teaching. What's up with that? Do you know?" He had his suspicions, but was pretty sure that Reno would know for certain what was going on with the guest speaker. Reno had always been obsessed with the Turks.

Reno smiled and shrugged. "Maybe they brought her down to in-spiyah-us," he said. "Y'know, tell us what the good life is like as a Turk."

Yeah – that was a good guess. Tseng struck Cloud as the kind of person who would send one of his own around to advertise their operation and try to recruit from the upcoming student pool. With the SOLDIER entrance exams a few weeks away, Tseng would be trying to reach out to the cadets who were too good to be in the army, but didn't have what it took to get into SOLDIER. Judging by how Reno was hanging onto the guest speaker's every word, the recruitment disguised as a lecture ploy (if it was indeed that) was working, and people were being taken in by the promise of the "good life."

"Planning on joining the Turks, Reno?" Cloud asked. He would not be the least bit surprised if Reno followed Cissnei back to her office and threw himself at her and Tseng, begging for them to recruit him. "You do have some skills they'd want, like sneaking through restricted staff doors."

"Oh yeah, yo, I do!" Reno snickered. "I'm an expert at…oh damn!" He pouted, watching with disappointment as Cissnei returned to her seat on the stage and the instructor got up to give homework assignments. "Bummer, looks like the show is over. I demand an encore performance!"

_No thanks._ Cloud quickly grabbed his backpack and got up. Not waiting to see what Reno would do to Cissnei, he hurried out the door and rushed into the hall.

~**********~

Cloud headed for his locker, glad to be done with that class for the day. The guest speaker had been frightening and attending his first class of the day had been even more surreal than he had expected it would be with the faces of people he remembered closing in around him, boxing him in. It moved him to once again see people whom he had thought he had lost and sent him reeling. He trembled with nervousness, disbelief and happiness as he fumbled with the combination lock, feeling as if he were on an all-time high. Looking up, he gazed in wonder at the mass of warm bodies marching through the door, milling about and surging around him. As they flooded the room, the room and the cadets around him swirled, becoming a churned up maelstrom of voices and colors. Opening himself up, he let the maelstrom sweep him up and draw him in, submerging him in the middle of it all. Letting people he normally would shut out in, he took a minute to enjoy the life, happiness, frustration and laughter bubbling around him. Smiling sadly, he focused on the people throbbing about him, and tried to ingrain this moment to memory. If things went to hell, he wanted to remember the people of Midgar this way, rather than think about all the charred corpses that he had seen lining the streets when the world had gone insane.

~**********~

"Okay, everyone, let's get to class or wherever you need to be!" someone shouted, drawing Cloud out of his reverie.

Cloud Strife turned around and saw that there was a 2nd Class SOLDIER waving their arms around, trying to establish some kind of order in the crowded hall. This particular SOLDIER was not in full uniform, which meant that he was off-duty and was volunteering to patrol the halls to fulfill community service requirements. Many of the mid-ranking SOLDIERs did such things, including…Zack, who was upstairs in his office right now, doing work for Angeal.

~**********~

Cloud turned away and debated whether he should pay Zack a visit. Zack had told him once that his mentor hated to interrupt him when he was in the office. If he were to pay Zack a visit now, he doubted the First Sergeant would walk in on them, and that encouraged him to go through with it.

_Yes,_ Cloud thought, _I think I'll do this._

Anxious to get to Zack's, he slammed his locker door shut, turned around...

...and walked right onto Kevin Gillett, one of the toughest and well-liked cadets training to get into SOLDIER.

Cloud pulled back, flattening himself against the wall to give the popular kid room to pass. He hoped that Kevin would realize that he hadn't trod on his toes intentionally or there would be trouble.

"Trying to trip me?" Kevin narrowed his eyes, scowling at the short, ugly, scruffy kid who had gotten in his way. "Trying to make me fall flat on my face?"

Cloud watched as Kevin bristled, circling him like a wolf closing in on its prey. He quietly leaned into the brick wall, hesitating what to do as the taller boy menacingly slammed a fist against his locker and extended an arm, menacingly letting the arm hover above him like a monstrous wing stretched out to full length. As Kevin leaned in, sneering in his face, he debated whether it would be better to stammer and profusely apologize until Kevin backed off, or to stand his ground against the brown-haired bully. The desire to avoid calling attention to himself warred with his desire to fight back, as he asked himself whether it would be better to play the passive or defend himself. His rational mind screamed at him, cautioning him that it would be best to act passive, so his friends would not wonder who had replaced Cloud over night…but at the last moment anger kicked in and rational thoughts were discarded.

As he was driven against the wall, his passionate warrior's heart flared up, enraged by the sight of the outstretched arm and balled up fist heading towards his head. He growled, imposing Sephiroth's sneering face in place of Kevin's, and imposing the Masamune in place of the fist headed his way. He narrowed his eyes, folded his arms across his chest, tightened his jaw in challenge and looked up at the angry, six-foot tall behemoth towering above him. Determined not to let Kevin win, he allowed his lips to twist into a snarl, then a sneer, and as Kevin's fist stopped just inches before his face, he scowled. Speaking with deadly calmness, he said, "Kevin, you _know_ that it was an accident and I wasn't trying to make you fall 'flat on your face.' If you want to pick a fight with me, don't say that I was trying to do something you know I wasn't trying to do."

_What the hell…_ Kevin gazed at Cloud in surprise, wondering if he was imagining things. Had Cloud Strife just said what he thought he had said?

Pulling back, Kevin cautiously scrutinized the little punk standing before him. Gazing into Cloud's eyes, he searched for signs of weakness - anything to indicate that Cloud was talking tough, but lacked the conviction to support what he said. To his dismay, no immediate signs of weakness leaped out at him, and the skittish, quiet little runt who had been highly uncomfortable around people and not very good at standing up for himself glowered back.

"Are you accusing me of lying, you little bitch?" Kevin roared, and he slammed his fists together good and loud in front of Cloud's face. He swore, as the unfazed, defiant look that was making him highly uncomfortable held, in spite of his threatening actions.

Rigid, inflexible eyes met his, bearing into him.

As Kevin got up in Cloud's face, the impassive blue eyes looked at him questioningly, as if they were daring him to step forward and receive a sentence for his unjust actions.

Totally bewildered, Kevin found himself staring into eyes that seemed as if they could read the hearts of other people, inside and out, and gauge their intentions. Flinching, he pulled even further back, seeing in those eyes an ability to read people that could only come through years of experience, and an unnatural maturity that should not exist in someone so young.

Kevin growled and raised his fist. He snarled, imagining what it would be like to drive his fist into Strife's jaw and shatter the shorter boy's teeth, but….he never cut loose, and the balled up fist that he was holding up menacingly ineffectively fluttered about in mid-air.

~**********~

"Shit…" Kevin's eyes widened.

As his cheeks flushed red and the black and white tiles on the floor spiraled out before him, he briefly saw Cloud the way he _had been_ the day that Sephiroth had fallen. Gaping at the strong, confident, compassionate and well-built warrior standing in front of him, Kevin choked for words. Struggling for something nasty to say, he took in the hardened eyes, the strong shoulders, and the strands of blond hair, billowing back in the wind. Shocked, he stared at the powerful hands reaching for a weapon, the booted feet determinedly advancing, and he did not know what to think. Out of all the things he could think of to associate with Cloud Strife, this warrior would have been the last thing that would have come to mind.

"Who do you think you are?" Kevin rasped. "SOLDIER 1st Class Strife?"

~**********~

The image of the warrior faded away, vanishing as quickly as it had come.

Kevin was left standing there, gaping at the blond haired brat and feeling more contrary than he had ever felt before in his life. Blinking in confusion, he stared at the boy in front of him.

The child standing next to him looked pathetic with his crinkled, badly ironed uniform and backpack clumsily slung over his shoulder, and yet Kevin knew that he should not be fooled by such weakness. After seeing what he had seen and hearing what he had heard, he knew that would be unable to look at Cloud Strife the same way again. Gone was the image of the awkward, frightened child he had nurtured in his mind, and in its place was an image of a man in a child's body…and this man did not take shit from anyone.

~**********~

Kevin eventually realized how foolish he looked standing there with his mouth hanging open. He sneered, "Yeah, you bet you're sorry. Next time, your face is going to be splattered all over that wall." and retreated to the other side of the corridor. "Don't touch me again if you value keeping your face intact."

_Don't worry, I won't,_ Cloud thought, as he quietly watched Kevin disappear into the crowd. It gave him no satisfaction to know that he had intimidated the other cadet and he was less than thrilled to find that his little performance had attracted a ton of stares.

Praying that the people gaping at him would forget about his confrontation with Kevin, he gathered up his things and made for the stairs.

"Ouch, this looks like it is gonna be fun."

Zack's brows furrowed as he stared at the black binder on his desk. He rubbed his temples with his fingers, not quite sure what to make of the performance evaluations Angeal had left for him to look at. As he flipped to the fifth page of the bulging binder, he found himself hoping that the other people who had sent feedback to Angeal would not be as disappointed with him as the first two instructors had been with him. It would be very discouraging to read forty-five pages of unhappy commentaries from people who were pissed off that he kept losing his concentration during training.

"I'm not sure I'm looking forward to reading these," Zack muttered as he leaned back in his chair to think about what he needed to do to put an end to this stupidity. "And neither is Angeal...and I'm not sure Angeal has much patience left for me."

_~**********~_

_Angeal had flipped when he had discovered that he was failing the simulations. Not buying his student's excuses, he had hunted his student down during lunch and questioned him extensively about the lapses in concentration that he was having._

_Concerned that something was wrong, Angeal had spent an hour talking to him about his problems, and had hammered him, repeatedly asking him if he felt "sick or tired or overwhelmed" by the more physically demanding activities that they were doing. Feeling none of the above, he had replied that he felt "just fine," and Angeal had gotten up in his face, telling him that "just fine" was not "good enough" and they needed to get to the bottom of this"before they took his training to the next level. Determined to resolve this issue, Angeal had insisted that they meet once a week to discuss possible solutions, until this stopped happening._

_They had started with simple things, believing that it was something as trivial as not getting enough sleep or having an improper diet. When going to bed early and cooking for him had failed to bring about improvement, Angeal had suggested that they modify the workouts that they did together, making them less physically demanding and psychologically strenuous. Hoping that it was just stress from Angeal pushing him harder and harder, he had agreed to try this, and found that going "back to basics" not only did not solve his problem, but it caused him to zone out, because he was too bored to pay attention._

_Worried that it might be a health problem, like a brain tumor or attention deficit disorder inherited from a family member, he had arranged to get a check up and scheduled an appointment with a psychologist. To his relief and frustration, both the shrink and the doctor had been unable to diagnose what was wrong. The doctor who had examined him had happily informed them that he was in "excellent health," and the psychologist had been so annoyed that the folks at Shinra wanted her to treat a normal, well-adjusted teenage boy, that she had chased him out of her office mid-way through the visit. Later, she had rung him up, informing him that he most certainly did not have ADHD._

_Deciding that he had had enough shrinks for a while, he had resumed his training and tried to do a better job focusing. Noticing improvement, Angeal had backed off, and all had seemed good until his instructors had decided he needed to spend some time battling hordes of Shinra infantrymen. Agreeing that this would be good practice for him, Angeal had tossed him into the training room, activated the simulation and stood back to watch him put on the worst performance of his career._

~**********~

"This is ridiculous."

Zack crumpled up his soda can. Pretending he was holding his unfocused brain, he took aim and hurled his empty soda can across the room with as much force as he could muster. He coldly watched as the battered soda can slammed against the brick, then fell over backwards into the trash can, he grit his teeth, wishing that he knew what to do to resolve his problems.

_This truly needs to stop. I really need to figure out what I keep doing wrong,_ he told himself.

_According to my assessments,_ he mused, _I lost focus several times this week. The first occurred when I was doing the digital infantryman simulation with Angeal and the second one happened when some army grunts came into the room_.

~*********~

_Zack grit his teeth as he looked back, thinking about the day that the foot soldiers had found their way into the training room and walked in on him in the middle of a practice session with Corporal Jenkins and Angeal. Big-hearted Angeal had been reluctant to kick them out, thinking that it would be a wonderful opportunity for the young ones to see someone who was a good role model in action, so the foot soldiers had been invited to observe the lesson, even though this was not normal company procedure. Usually, the training room was off limits to foot soldiers and cadets when there were private lessons going on._

_This decision had not gone over well with Zack and he had remembered pulled Angeal aside, protesting the decision, but his mentor had told him that it was too late to go back now; he had already given the soldiers his "word" that they could view a live practice session, and booting them out of the room would violate a promise._

_Knowing that he could not do a thing to change his mentor's mind when First Sergeant was in dreams, pride and honor mode, he had tried to grin and bear it. Laughing to show that it wasn't such a big deal after all, he had walked onto the training mat, taken up his sword, and started to run through a sparring sequence he had learned when he first joined the mentorship program._

_As Angeal had circled around him, looking for an opening to launch an attack, he had assumed the defensive stance. Bending his body forward so that he would have to move less to get in a counterattack, he had raised his sword, bringing it up to chest level. Keeping his muscles relaxed to prevent tension from building up in his arms and slowing down his movements, he had rotated around the center of the sparring ring, always making sure that he was facing Angeal and his sides were not exposed. Crawling cautiously forward through the radius of the ring, Zack had extended his sword, and waited for Angeal to come after him. Carefully gauging the distance between himself and his mentor, he had quickly calculated in his head how much room he would need to get enough momentum going to push Angeal back and force the other man outside the ring._

_Angeal, however, had taken his time, and the army grunts had started to boo and hiss._

_Bored out of their minds watching two guys spar, they had started talking at the top of their voices. Eager to show how tough and macho they were, they had chosen hideous topics to discuss, and had shouted across the room at each other about shooting people at point blank range, blowing enemy operatives' heads off, and the various stages of decomposition they had found bodies in. Highly enjoying the game of psyching each other out, they had upped the ante, making sure the topics got nastier and nastier._

_For them, this immature game had been great fun. But for Zack, it had been intolerable to listen to, and everything had gone downhill from there._

_~******~_

"Damn it....this is not getting anywhere..." Zack muttered, failing to realize that army grunts seemed to trigger his lapse in concentration.

He sank into his chair, flipped open the binder, and turned to the next assessment. Perhaps, he hoped, a good kick in the head from one of his instructors would help him pull his act together.

"Well," Zack uneasily said, when he saw who had written the performance review, "it doesn't look like I'm going to be disappointed."

~**********~

As he read the strongly worded evaluation Genesis had written, Zack could not help but think that it was a shame that Commander Rhapsodos was not better at dealing with other people. The commander was arrogant, unapproachable and had a tendency to take things way too personally, but the suggestions that he made for improvement were some of the most helpful and well-explained suggestions that Zack had ever read and his ideas were creative, interesting and thoughtful. Unfortunately, giving people attitude was more important to Genesis than sharing his ideas with others or trying to be a warm and friendly person. He was far more comfortable…

_...Cutting people down with his harsh words and doing stuff like…recommending I take remedial lessons._

~**********~

Zack frowned, disappointed that a well-written, intelligent evaluation was tainted by such an insensitive, asinine comment. He wished that the sarcastic comments did not undermine the rest of the assessment and wondered if getting together with Genesis and asking for a brutally honest, face-to-face critique of his skills would be productive. Perhaps Genesis would surprise him and they would actually have a civil conversation about what he could do to improve himself.

Bah! Who was he kidding?

Genesis had made it clear that he disliked him, and it would be out of line to go to Genesis, asking for feedback when he had a mentor and instructors willing to offer him endless constructive criticism. Genesis was neither a mentor nor instructor to him, and never would be either of those things to anyone when the man detested working with students. And had publicly stated at a charity function he thought students could go to hell...

_...much to the horror of President Shinra,_ Zack thought, as his phone rang.

~*********~

"Good afternoon, may I speak to SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack?" a powerful, commanding voice asked.

_Whoa…_ Zack almost fell out of his chair, instantly recognizing the caller.

"Yes - that would be me!" he said breathlessly. "Oh fu…"

He slapped his head against the palm of his hand as the binder containing all the evaluations slipped from his grasp and spilled all over the floor.

"Sorry, something rather important just fell over. I'm really sorry."

His cheeks flushed bright red as he realized that the speakers had probably picked up the sound of him swearing.

"Yes," Zack said, praying that the person had not been offended by his uncouth language, "you're speaking to SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack. This is me. I hope you are having a good day… _General sir?"_

"Hmph," Zack's superior officer snorted, "for a moment, I thought I had dialed the wrong number."

He paused for a few moments, listening with mild interest to the sound of Zack's flustered, ragged breathing rasp through his receiver.

Making a mental note to himself to write down that SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack had seemed highly disorganized when he had pen and paper in front of him, he smoothly said, "Thank you for asking about my day. That is very _polite_ of you. My day is going better than yours seems to be going at the moment. I hope that I have not caught you in the middle of something? It sounds as if you are in the midst of something. Maybe I should call back later when you are not so busy? I would just _hate_ to take up your time with an _unimportant_ call like this."

Green eyes narrowed on his end of line as he wondered if Zack's friends were paying the boy a social call during work hours and that was why Angeal's student seemed so distracted and out of it. Most likely, they were goofing around in the office…there was no other reason to explain why Zack had ignored the e-mail that he had sent him, taken two minutes to pick up his phone and sounded embarrassed and guilty speaking to him.

"Would there be a better time?" he inquired.

There was a pause. Sephiroth heard the sound of a binder being slammed against a desk and papers being shuffled around, then Zack gasped, "No – now is a good time, sir. I was reading my performance evaluations, but that can wait. How may I help you, sir?"

So…SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack claimed to be reading evaluations? Sephiroth leaned over, reached for his mouse and clicked, bringing up the boy's file on his computer screen. He scrolled down, pulling up the recent assessments from Zack's instructors and various people who had been asked by Angeal to review Zack's performance. "Which assessments have you read so far?" he asked. "And what did you think of them? Were there any that you found particularly helpful? Did you feel any of your evaluators missed the mark in their assessment of your skills?" He turned up the volume on his phone, curious to see what Zack's reaction would be. The boy's response or lack thereof would confirm if Zack was truly reviewing his performance evaluations or if he was goofing off with his friends.

~**********~

Zack bit his lip, completely caught off guard by the question. Surely General Sephiroth had not called him to discuss his performance evaluations and how on earth did the general expect him to respond to a question like, "Did you feel your evaluators missed the mark in their assessment of your skills?" He was a lowly 2nd Class, entirely unfit to evaluate his instructors or the SOLDIER 1sts who had assessed him.

Choosing his words carefully, Zack said, "I've read Corporal Tyler and Corporal Jenkins' evaluations, sir, and…the observations written by Commander Rhapsodos."

Sephiroth quickly ran through the list of evaluations on his screen, confirming that those individuals had indeed submitted written reports. It appeared that Zackary truly had been reviewing his evaluations and not slacking off like he had initially suspected.

Excellent! Sephiroth was relieved. It was good to see that the boy possessed strong work ethic and that he wasn't going to have to lecture Zackary about mixing friends with work. The boy's organizational skills, however, were another matter…

_He better learn how to respond to his phone calls on time and reply to his e-mails in a prompt manner if he is going to work for me,_ Sephiroth thought. _I'm not going to have a SOLDIER 1st who doesn't get back to me in a timely manner…and something has got to be done about the way that he keeps his desk organized. I have no patience for people who let their binders spill all over their desk - and I'm not going to hire a secretary for him when keeping his stuff organized is such a basic life skill. Wow, I'm surprised Angeal hasn't gotten on his case about that…_

Deciding that now was not the time to lecture Zack about life skills, he said, "I see you've received assessments from three of Shinra's best. What did you think of their comments? I'm curious to hear your opinion."

Sephiroth arched an eyebrow, sensing that Zack was hesitant to answer the question. Wondering if there might be anything bad in the evaluations that would generate embarrassment in the boy, the general quickly skimmed through the first five paragraphs of each assessment, and found himself frowning as he read descriptions such as, _"has problems focusing, this has been an ongoing issue for a while now."_ Unimpressed that Zack was having concentration issues when Angeal was preparing to recommend his little Puppy for First, he windowed out of the assessments and asked Zack point blank, "Is there a reason you are not answering my question? Do you not want to talk about your assessments?"

~**********~

On the other end of the line, Zack turned bright red, as he realized that the general had to have pulled up his folder. Regretting that he had even mentioned performance assessments, he struggled for words, not certain how he should respond to Sephiroth. Honesty, of course was the best policy, but oh god, this was such an awkward conversation to be having with _The General,_ and why was Sephiroth so interested in talking about his assessments? Didn't they have other things to talk about, like…what yet to be revealed task Sephiroth wanted him to do? Why couldn't they talk about that – or had these assessments made Angeal so upset that his mentor had called in the general to tear him a new one, rather than do it himself?

Hoping that his straight forward, honorable mentor had not put the general up to chewing him out, Zack softly said, "I'll answer the question, sir. There's no reason for me not to – it's just…"

He frowned, imagining Sephiroth gripping the receiver with an annoyed, impatient look on his face. If there was one thing the general hated, it was people trying to pass off their mistakes with excuses. _'It's just…'_ or any other similar phrase would not cut it with Sephiroth.

"It's…it's…as you can see from the assessments in front of you, this week has not been my best," Zack firmly said, deciding to directly address his mistakes, "and I'm not at all proud of how I've been performing. I _know_ that I could have done better and I _will_ try harder. It's not always easy to read assessments like these, but I think that the three people who evaluated me saw what needed to be improved and rightfully called me on it…if they hadn't, I would have kept making the same mistakes, and that wouldn't have gotten me anywhere. Only by reading and accepting constructive criticism am I going to get better…so I would say that all these comments were helpful, because they're going to help me grow as a person."

~**********~

Sephiroth followed these words closely, listening for any shakiness in Zack's voice, faltering, or long pauses – anything that would indicate to him that the boy was saying what he thought he _wanted_ to hear and not what he felt. To the general's surprise, there were very few changes in intonation and few pauses. It would appear that Zack truly did mean the things that he was saying and was not just saying such things for the sake of giving a 'safe' answer.

_Well,_ Sephiroth thought, _we shall see_.

"Zackary," he said, going back to one of the original questions that he had asked, "a few moments ago, I asked you if you thought any of your evaluators had missed the mark? Do you think that any of the observations in here are not a fair assessment of your abilities?"

He pressed the receiver closer to his ear, as he picked up the unmistakable sound of Zack agitatedly pushing back in his chair.

"Should they have given you more credit?"

_Oh gods, I can't believe he is asking this!_ Zack flinched.

"Perhaps they should have mentioned the good things that you are capable of," Sephiroth suggested, "instead of being so negative, saying that you are 'unreliable and unfocused,' 'extremely disappointing, lacks situational awareness' and that you 'demonstrate no sense of timing.' I don't get a sense of your skill reading these assessments, because so much negative leaps out at me…I would call that missing the mark, wouldn't you? Writing reports that have no sense of fairness?"

_He's truly asking this…_

~**********~

Zack blankly stared at the binder in his hands, incredulous that Sephiroth was asking him these questions. It _had_ to be a test of some sort, because the Sephiroth he had come to know did not normally talk to cadets as if they were his equal, asking them what they thought of their superior officers, and _demanding_ that they declare their superior officers' opinions off the mark. He slid the binder into his lap and wondered why Sephiroth had suddenly decided to put him to the test, and whether the general was aware that he was making him squirm. For all Zack knew, Sephiroth was unaware of how uncomfortable he was making him feel, and could not see how emotionally and mentally manipulative this line of questioning was. The man was a brilliant tactician and fighter, but quite lacking in social skills and terrible at seeing the effect his words and actions had on other people.

"Well?" Sephiroth purred. "What do you think?"

_I think I'm going to end up in the doghouse._

Answering this question had to be done in a very particular way and it was likely that no matter how he answered the question, the general would lose respect for him. If he told Sephiroth that he thought some of the comments were overly negative, he would be overstepping his bounds and demonstrating a lack of confidence in his superior officers, and if he refused to answer the question, Sephiroth would think that he was being insubordinate. The expectation around Shinra was that if your commanding officer asked you a question, you answered it at once, even if the question they asked you was a question that made you squirm.

"I – I honestly don't know what to think," Zack laughed uneasily. "People – don't…usually ask me questions like that. I'm thinking, 'Wow, this is so sudden!' at the moment. You caught me completely off guard here," he added, hoping maybe Sephiroth would take the hint and realize that these questions were flipping him out and causing him to climb the walls. "I'm all 'woah!' here!"

To his relief, Sephiroth seemed to take the hint. "Let me make rephrase the question," the general said. "Are you disappointed that they did not point out what you did right? Do you feel that they should have pointed out the good? I'm not asking you to evaluate your reviewers, Zackary – that's my department, not yours. I don't want to know if you think they're doing a bad job evaluating you."

_Phew._ Zack breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Yeah, I am kind of disappointed," he admitted, "but I wasn't performing my best. If I'm not performing my best and there's not a lot of good to see, they can't really comment on what's not there, and not all of them know me. For example…I don't take lessons with Corporal Jenkins that often, so he doesn't really know my strengths and weaknesses the way someone like Angeal does, and the only times I've ever interacted with - with Commander Rhapsodos…have been when him and the First Sergeant have been together in the same room. He doesn't know me at all…so no, I don't feel like they missed the mark. It's hard to comment on someone you don't really know. I don't feel slighted and I don't feel like I deserved better, sir."

~**********~

The reply made Sephiroth smile. He would not have chosen to be so 'nice' about it if someone asked him if he thought his reviewers had missed the mark, but he could find no fault with how Zackary had answered the question. The boy's reply was a good, thoughtful response that tried to take the feelings of other people into consideration, treat the chain of command with respect, and answer the question _honestly_. He had had his doubts about the kid's personality meshing with his, but now having heard this honest reply, he felt more comfortable about Zack being promoted to 1st Class. Perhaps they could work effectively together after all…

"Zackary," Sephiroth said, "would you have time to meet with me in my office in fifteen minutes from now? I have some paperwork for you." He turned down the volume on his phone in anticipation of the loud, ear-shattering whoops he expected to hear when he broke the big news. "We need to make sure that you understand the responsibilities that befall upon a SOLDIER of Angeal's rank and make sure that being promoted is what _you_ want before we go ahead with this. Angeal has recommended you for First."

_Holy…_ Zack's eyes widened, becoming big as saucers. Had Sephiroth just said what he thought he'd said? Had Angeal…Oh. My. God. Angeal was recommending him for First Class!

"I must be dreaming," he whispered. "Angeal recommended me? Angeal, you're awesome, man! You ROCK!"

"Shout like that again in my ear and I will see to it that you do not get promoted," Sephiroth grimaced. "Does meeting in fifteen minutes sound good to you, Zackar...just a second."

~**********~

Sephiroth suppressed a snarl as he leaned too far forward in his chair and penetrating pain shot down his back from his shoulder blades to his stomach, courtesy of the injury he had received a few weeks ago. The decent mood he was in evaporated as he jammed his hand into the drawer of his desk, and fumbled for the pain killing pills he kept back there. If this kept up and the strain did not get any better, he could see himself going in for cortisone shots with Hojo, and that would be a treat.

As he poured four tablets into his hand, Sephiroth listened to Zack carry on with some in the background.

He arched his eyebrows as he heard Zack say, "Heya, Cloud...gimme a moment. I'm talking to my boss." and wondered if a cadet had just walked into Zack's office _during work hours?_

_Is this Cloud the same Cloud Angeal wrote up?_ he asked himself.

Yes - he decided. It sure sounded like it.

Hoping that Zack would not start shouting in his ear again, Sephiroth reset the volume on his phone, raising it to max levels. Acting like he had no problem that Cloud was bugging one of his staffers during their office hours, he listened quietly as Zack got up from his chair, went to the door and tried to explain to his friend that he was not allowed to socialize during his work hours.

As the two of them carried on, Sephiroth reached for the detention slips he kept next to his medicine. It made him livid to listen to Zack propose to his friend that he walk to the other side of the building with him. Having Cloud Strife walk with Zack up to his office was definitely not what Sephiroth had in mind, but he supposed he would put up with it – and nail the troublemaking blond when Cloud walked into his office. Getting written up by the general would be a good lesson for Cloud Strife.

"I will see you in fifteen minutes, Zackary," Sephiroth coldly said, as he hung up the phone and turned his attention to the detention slips.

It had been a long time since writing someone up had felt so sweet.


	6. At the Threshold

**Chapter Six - At the Threshold**

_Midgar - εуλ 0000_

**Author's Note:** I edited out Zack's flashbacks and clarified why Angeal objects to his friends taking pain killing medication.

Five minutes later, Cloud stood outside Zack's office.

As he approached the office window, he found himself shaking, knowing that within mere moments he was going to be seeing his friend again. He held out a hand to support himself as he pulled close to the glass. As he reached out to touch it, he felt his arms and legs quiver and his heart pound with anticipation. He edged along slowly as his body shook, unable to contain all the emotions he had bottled up inside him at this very moment. Reeling with happiness, longing from being apart, wonder at seeing someone who he thought he had forever lost and sadness from not knowing if good people like his friend would last, he looked through the glass and saw...

...a glowing, radiant young man bouncing around the room, pumping his hand in the air and looking like he was on an all time high.

He trembled with joy as he saw a goofy grin spread across his friend's face. And watched with baited breath as Zack's strong shoulders quivered with amazement, disbelief and gratitude, A smile crept across his own face as Zack whooped and danced around the room, and he allowed himself to plunge headfirst into the wave of good feeling flowing out of the office, letting it engulf him. As the wave fanned out around him, enveloped him and pulled him in, the world just seemed to fall into place.

And when the door swung open and Zack emerged, looking exactly the way that he remembered him, it felt to Cloud as though he and Zack had never been parted from each other.

~*******~

"Heya," Zack smiled, pushing aside a few strands of blond hair that were falling into Cloud's face.

"Hey, Zack," he breathlessly said, as the older boy slapped the palms of his hands on his shoulders, patting them affectionately once before pulling back. "How are you doing? Things are going well, I hope?"

Zack's entire face lit up. Yeah, things were going well. He was having one of the most _amazing days_ of his life. "I'm doing good," he said. "It's been a pretty awesome day. And yourself? I hope things are going well with you? How do you like your classes?"

Cloud's expression was pained. "I'm doing all right," he said, "about as good as I can be after I sat through a horror movie this morning." He chuckled as Zack made a puzzled face. "Tseng sent one of the Turks to tell us why we should consider joining his Turk army and Reno was all worked up over her. It made for quite an…interesting…class. What about you, it sounds like your day's going good? What's up?"

Zack looked over his shoulder, glancing guiltily at the telephone on his desk. When his superior officer was on the phone, waiting for him, and expected him to come upstairs in fifteen minutes, it was _not_ appropriate for him to be talking to Cloud.

"Hey Cloud," Zack unhappily said, moving further out in the hallway so the sound of him chatting with his friend would not be picked up by the speakers of his phone, "I'm very glad to see you. It's awesome that you dropped by – but my boss is on hold on the line and these are my work hours. It's not cool for me to be hanging out when I'm on the job…"

He watched Cloud nod with disappointed understanding.

"But…" he considered. "Let's get together after work tomorrow and after you're all done with your classes? We can go out and grab a bite to eat or hunt for rare treasures in the Slum Market – how would you like that? And maybe…you can walk with me to the meeting I have to go to in fifteen minutes? We could talk on our way over there and I could tell you what's going on. I'm really psyched, because…it's the most amazing…"

He paled, imagining Sephiroth getting very irritated about the delay. Irritated Sephiroth would not be fun to deal with when they met in person.

"Hey, Cloud," he apologized, "can you wait just a minute? I need to wrap up this call, I left my boss hanging and he's not someone you want to piss off."

"Yeah, sure," Cloud said, a little surprised that Angeal was calling his student during work hours when the First Sergeant had made such a big deal about letting Zack do his own thing while office time was in session. "I'll – I'll wait out here. It wouldn't be right for me to go into your office and I don't want you to get in trouble if he decides to pop in here."

Zack laughed. He highly doubted Sephiroth would come down to pay him a visit. The general never left his office unless he was on assignment or First Sergeant and Commander Rhapsodos ganged up on him, forcing him to come out and be social. "We'll go to him," Zack said, springing back into the room.

"Hi, sir," he apologized once he was back at the phone. "I'm sorry about that. Yes, that's fine and I'll be there in fifteen minutes. See you then…"

"Wow…" Zack said, as his speaker phones picked up the harsh sound of Sephiroth slamming down the receiver, "these really do pick up everything."

Zack cringed, hoping that the general had not heard them talking outside the door. Given how blunt Sephiroth was, he doubted that the other man had overheard them, or the silver-haired man would have been ranting at him about receiving a social call when they were still on the phone with each other.

"Amazing stuff…." he said, before turning back to Cloud.

"Come on in," Zack cheerfully announced, "we have fifteen minutes until my boss expects me to be there. Get out of the hall, get something to drink…"

He tossed his friend one of the extra sodas he had and to his surprise and delight, clumsy, slow on his feet Cloud effortlessly caught it.

"Wow, good reflexes there! Swa-eet!" Zack crowed. "Next thing you know, you'll be dodging bullets and taking down enemy operatives with reflexes like those. Very cool! Give them reflexes like that and you'll wow them when you take the entrance exams."

Cloud rolled his eyes. Catching a soda can was hardly a good indicator that he had the agility and reflexes needed to pass the entrance exams. Quite a bit of work would need to be done to build up the speed and stamina his adult self had possessed before the Planet had sent him back to fix things. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Zack," he said, "but I have a lot of practice I need to do to get ready for the exams. After I finish my classes and my homework, I think I am going to spend some time in the gym working out and seeing what my body is capable of doing. That should be ok, then? The gym is open to cadets at that time? It will be all right if I want to go in?"

There was a moment of awkward silence as Zack blinked, caught off guard by the question. The gym had always been open to cadets in the afternoons and evenings and it surprised him that Cloud should think that gym hours had changed or that the gym had suddenly become restricted to just staff members or SOLDIERs. Had someone been giving Cloud a rough time about wanting to use the gym? He hoped not, or they would find SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack in their face. Nobody messed with his _Spike_.

"Cadets can go into the gym whenever they don't have class," Zack said, hungrily eyeing the ham and pesto wrap Angeal had made for him. "Is there something going on? Would you like me to speak to the peeps at the gym? If there's been some confusion, I can help you get it sorted out – no problem."

He broke off a piece of the sandwich and stuffed it in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully and slowly.

"You know, Cloud," he continued, "this – this is really good. Would you like to try some? Come to think of it, have you had lunch yet? This is your lunch break, isn't it? There's plenty to go around if you want some."

_What are you thinking, Zack?_ Cloud held up his hands and waved them around, indicating that Zack shouldn't even consider offering him some of his food. He had come up here to talk to his friend, not make off with lunch, and it was embarrassing to have food forced upon him when Zack had done so many nice things for him already. It was nice of his buddy to offer, but no – he really couldn't accept anymore food.

"I-I appreciate you offering," Cloud stammered, "but…the soda's enough. I would feel wrong about eating your lunch when I can go down to the cafeteria later on…and….DUDE!"

Cloud covered his face as Zack sauntered forward, holding the sandwich out to him like it was a wild apple he was invitingly offering to a horse. "You need to eat that so you have energy to kick butt in the gym," he stuttered. " What's Angeal going to say if you go in for practice and you are listless and don't have enough strength to pick up your sword? Do you want him to…to…"

He thought quickly, trying to think of something that he knew Zack hated.

"Do you want him to be so put off he gives you a nice, long speech about dreams and honor? You _know_ he'll do that and when he does that…"

The blond haired warrior backed up as Zack advanced and soon found himself cornered against the swivel chair. He toppled over, legs flying out in front of him, butt hitting the vinyl chair seat hard.

"Think about it!" Cloud cried, straining to tilt his neck and head away from the grinning devil who was temptingly waving the most delicious smelling sandwich he had ever smelt above his nose. "An entire day of dreams, pride and honor! Do you want to experience something awful like that?"

Zack paused, as if he had been stopped dead in his tracks by the horror of the idea. "You are right, Cloud," he said with a shiver, "that is a very scary idea, but…even scarier is the thought of you skipping lunch because you came to visit me."

He leaned back against the wall.

"There's lettuce in here," he said, looking down mournfully at the sandwich, "and tomato and cheese and ham and pesto…good stuff…"

_Ok, this has gone on long enough…_

Zack broke off a piece of his sandwich, wrapped it up in a napkin and left it on the end of the desk for his friend to take if he so chose. "You can have it if you decide you want it," he amiably said. "The refrigerator's full of food, so it's not like you'd be depriving me of lunch. Angeal is always cooking for me and giving me food, because he wants me to make sure that I'm eating the right things and have a proper diet. He's a bit – how to put it – obsessive like that? But he's a great cook! He's the best!"

Cloud arched a blond eyebrow. Hearing that First Sergeant Hewley cooked for Zack from time to time was shocking to him. Most mentors did not do nice things like that and were strict disciplinarians who pushed their students hard with rigorous conditioning.

"It must be nice," Cloud said, "having a mentor like that who is watching out for you. I sure would like to have a mentor like Ang…You know, this sandwich…is not bad…"

Zack chuckled as Cloud gave in and nibbled on a corner of his sandwich. "I like having Angeal as my mentor also," he said, "even though he can be a little bit crazed about the dreams, pride and honor thing. Sometimes I just wish that he would shut up, but…he's a great teacher and he really cares about the students…wants to make sure that they are healthy and that they are progressing. I'm going to miss not having him as my mentor." He sighed disappointedly, then brightened. "But if the Director approves Angeal's recommendation and I make 1st Class in the next couple of weeks, they're going to want me to start teaching the other SOLDIERs and I'll be allowed to mentor someone like…like…."

He swooped down in front of Cloud, spread his arms across the desk and looked at his younger companion intently.

"Like you! What do you say, Cloud? When you rock the entrance exams and get into SOLDIER, how about it? How would you like to be mentored by me?"

_I would love to be mentored by you,_ Cloud thought, _but they will never allow it._

"I think that it would be awesome if you were my mentor, Zack," he said, deciding that he would not spoil his friend's enthusiasm by reminding him that only experienced SOLIDERS like Angeal and Genesis were allowed to mentor students. "It would be a lot of fun and I would highly enjoy having you as my teacher. And…congratulations on the recommendation, Zack," he beamed. "That's wonderful news! You will make a fantastic SOLDIER 1st. I am happy for you! Your dream to become a hero is coming true!"

Zack's entire face split into a grin. "Thanks, Cloud," he said.

He reached into a cabinet and pulled out a big stuffed yellow chocobo.

"I'm very happy. I've wanted this to happen for such a long time, but I didn't think that this would happen," he continued. "I never expected the recommendation, just kind of hoped for it, and I certainly didn't expect that it would come so soon. I thought Angeal would want to wait awhile longer before considering it, because I'm young compared to the rest of the SOLDIER 1sts. Some of them are fossils."

"What's that?" Cloud asked, pointing at the bird.

"This?" Zack replied. "Oh this…" He held up the toy, turning it so its big black glass eyes were staring directly at Cloud. "This is Wark."

"Wark?" Cloud gagged, nearly spitting out his food.

"Yeah, Wark," Zack happily said. "My parents mailed him to me when I got shipped out here. He was part of the care package they sent me right before the entrance exams. They wanted him to be here with me, because my mother said that he was lucky, and would look out for me when it came time for me to take the tests."

He passed the bird to Cloud, wanting his buddy to feel its soft feathering.

"I thought it was silly at first, but…he kind of grows on you after awhile and when I woke up on the day of the exam and rolled over and saw him by my bed smiling at me, it felt really good! It was nice – waking up like that and finding him there, then going into the exams and knowing that he was looking out for me. He's a lucky bird."

Cloud gave the fluffy yellow head a few quick pets. "Yeah," he said, reconsidering what he thought of the chocobo now that it was in his lap, "he is kind of cute. Cool bird, Zack."

Zack's next words made him frown. "You can have him," the soon-to-be 1st proposed.

_What! You've got to be kidding me!_ Cloud nearly spit out the soda in his mouth. Zack could not be seriously saying such things. Sharing his lunch with him was bad enough…and now…Zack wanted him to take this beautiful stuffed animal that Mrs. Fair had probably spent hours lovingly hand sewing? What was Zack thinking? There was no way that he could consider accepting the toy. It just _would not be right._

"Zack," Cloud strained helplessly, "this is too much. You've done so much for me already, and I haven't really had the chance to return the favor. I've done more taking than giving and this would just be one more thing that…." He blinked as Zack picked up the bird and held it in front of him, squeaking it softly. His eyes bugged out as he realized that Zack's parents had not just spent hour’s hand sewing and stuffing the ridiculously cute toy, but that they had also gone to the trouble to put a _damn squeaker_ inside the bird. "Please," he said softly, "keep it – instead of giving it to me. I really don't feel right taking something that is so important to you. Your parents made that stuffed animal for you, because they wanted him to be there with you as you lived out your hopes and dreams. He represents your hopes and dreams, Zack…he...."

Cloud lowered his eyes, not wanting to see any pain or disappointment he brought to his friend's face when he expressed the thoughts in his head. He was going to try to phrase it as nicely and tactfully as he could, but he had a feeling that he would still end up hurting Zack no matter how sensitively he conveyed his rejection.

"Zack," he whispered, "that bird is all about your dreams. It would feel wrong to me for him to…to try and represent dreams that I…" Cloud trailed off, fixing on a portrait of Rufus Shinra on the wall behind them.

_You think that it would be wrong for Wark to represent dreams that you don't think you have,_ Zack finished silently for his friend. _That's what you're trying to say, isn't it?_

_~*********~_

Zack sighed and wished that he could tell his friend that he _was not_ weak and ineffective, and that he saw so much potential flowing out of him. He shook his head, and wondered if there was a way that he could praise Cloud for how strong, wise and emotionally mature he had become since they had first befriended each other, and make him see that he was only going to get stronger, but he hesitated, doubting that there was a way that he could tactfully share such observations with Cloud. Confiding to Cloud that he thought that he had grown as a person would involve discussing aspects of his friend's personality that he knew Cloud was very self-conscious about and the last thing that he wanted was for his Spiky to get worked up when they were about to head up to Sephiroth's office.

Meeting someone with such a confident, strong personality would be a good experience for Cloud, but the encounter had the potential to go badly if they went up there and Cloud was all worked up with doubts about himself. A self-conscious Cloud was a miserable Cloud and a miserable Cloud tended to be so negative that everyone in the room sensed his discomfort and reacted badly to the negative energy. Sephiroth had very little patience for people as it was and a negative Cloud would surely piss the general off.

The entire thing was risky to say the least, but it was a chance that Zack Fair was willing to take. His optimistic mind hoped that if he could introduce the two, meeting Sephiroth would inspire Cloud, giving the boy the courage that he needed for the entrance exams, and another part of him prayed that the general would take a liking to Cloud. If he could make Sephiroth see the good in his Spiky and see that their personalities meshed well, then it would be easier to approach the general once he was promoted to SOLDIER 1st and ask the silver-haired warrior for the _biggest favor_ that he had ever asked Sephiroth in his life.

_I meant what I said, Cloud, about wanting to mentor you,_ Zack thought. _I know that they're going to be resistant to the idea, because I'm "the new guy," but…I'd kick myself if they didn't see how good you are and you didn't get the one on one attention you deserve, or if someone else got to you and snatched you up. I want to be the one who mentors you – not see you end up with Jenkins or Tyler or some other SOLDIER 1st._

_~*******~_

"We need to go," Zack cheerfully said, gathering up his jacket. "Are you sure you don't want Wark, Cloud?"

Cloud groaned exasperatedly. It really would mean a lot to his friend if he took the bird, wouldn't it?

"Oh all right," he said, "I'll take him…but…"

He quickly took the stuffed animal out of Zack's hands and put the bird back on the desk.

"If you don't mind, I'll pick him up next time I see you? There's not much room in my backpack right now to fit him inside with my books and…I would feel weird walking into your boss' office with a stuffed animal in my arms. It probably wouldn't look professional?"

_Good point,_ Zack thought. As amusing as it would be to show up at Sephiroth's place with a giant chocobo, it would most likely not go over well. Sephiroth flipped out if he saw cadets walking around with headphones, handheld entertainment systems and non-academic leisure reading material, and Zack did not want to see if oversized, 18-inch stuffed animals were also on the list of things that pissed the general off. It would best for both of them if they left Wark behind for now and picked him up later after they visited Sephiroth.

"I think that that's a good idea, Cloud," Zack said, "let's pick him up later." He tapped on the window to his office, waving at the friendly-looking bird. "Bye, Wark. He looks sad, Cloud. He says that he misses you and can't wait for you to come back to take him home. Say good-bye to him, Cloud?"

"Good-bye, Wark," Cloud cringed, as he pressed against the window and waved at the stuffed animal. He gritted his teeth as he caught his reflection in the glass and saw how forced and unnatural waving at the toy looked. If he had truly been sixteen and not a nearly twenty-seven-year-old man in a child's body, it would have been so much easier for him to play these goofy games with Zack.

"He likes you, Spiky," Zack said, failing to catch how stiff and awkward Cloud's movements looked. "Ooh! Elevator!" He perked up, his sensitive hearing picking up the beep of elevator doors opening. "Let's go!" he grinned.

"Hey Zack," Cloud gasped, as his arm was nearly yanked out of its socket by the black-haired man, "thank you! I want you to know…I do….appreciate it and I will take good care of him. I know that your mom put a lot of work into making him and that he's really important to you, because he represents your dreams and stuff."

_And now he represents yours,_ Zack silently told his friend, once they were in the elevator. _I want you to have him now that I'm getting into 1st, because you need him a lot more than I do. I've realized my dream – but you haven't realized yours yet, and if you want to become a hero, you need to have dreams and embrace them. My dreams have ended, Cloud, but yours have just begun._

_~*********~_

"What floor?" Cloud asked, finding himself right next to the buttons and elevator controls.

"Director's floor," Zack said, dusting some stray hair off his turtleneck sweater. With Sephiroth, making a good impression meant everything.

"Director's floor?" Cloud hit the button and made a face, wondering if Zack's appointment was going to involve meeting with the Director and his staff. "Wow, Zack, you're meeting with some very important people. I guess you have to go through meeting the executive department when you get promoted to 1st?"

Zack nodded. "Yeah," he said, 'I'm going to have to do that sooner or later. I'm not exactly looking forward to it, but it's got to be done. Fortunately, we don't have to worry about it today, because there's nothing to celebrate yet. I just….I need to fill out a lot of paperwork first, do some interviews, see how this all goes and hope it works out…then we get to celebrate."

"You're going to do fine, Zack," Cloud said.

~*********~

The elevator ended up stopping several floors short of the floor they needed to be on. Cloud opened the doors and peeked out. "Hmm," he said, after taking a quick look around, "no one's standing at the door – the only person is that man sitting out there, but I don't think he wants a ride up."

"Weird," Zack said, looking outside the elevator for himself. He cast around and – recoiled – for sitting at a glass table fifteen feet away from the elevator was the person whom he mistrusted most.

Zack stiffened as his least favorite person lazily skimmed through a book at the table. He frowned, taking in the smug, cross-legged posture, the folded arms and the fierce eyes that looked his way, meeting his in challenge. He drew back, not appreciating having such arrogant, ocean blue colored eyes cut into him, and sweep over him like a strong, powerful wave that rises up and bears down, trying to crush those that ride against it. Irritated by how righteous and condescending the man managed to look out of uniform, he turned to Cloud, signaling that they best be on their way.

As the smug 1st got up and called out to him, asking if he was still having "problems with the simulation machine," Zack mashed his hand against the elevator controls, quickly pressing the button that would close the elevator door. Politeness be damned – he was not going to have _Mr. Entitlement_ in the elevator with himself and Cloud when the arrogant 1st was giving people attitude and was likely to give his Spiky a hard time. Mr. Entitlement could find himself another elevator.

"Who was that, Zack?" Cloud anxiously asked, sensing the change in his friend's mood. He had not recognized Genesis, casually dressed in a long-sleeved white T-shirt and black pants, and the blue bandanna wrapped around the SOLDIER's head had all but hidden the tell-tale auburn-colored hair.

"Sephiroth's confidant," Zack said, as the elevator doors closed and the 1st's cocky face vanished, out of mind and out of sight. He hesitated, wondering if he should continue, because he did not consider it a good thing to talk about other people. "Cloud," he said, after a moment of awkward silence, "I don't normally talk about others, but if you run into that man again, use your head around him. If he gives you an order, do as he says, of course, but don't spend more time than you need to with him and don't say more than you need to around him or it won't go well."

What was Zack getting at? Cloud suddenly felt very concerned. Had the man outside the elevator hurt Zack on a personal or professional level? "Elaborate," he worriedly said. "I don't understand what you mean. Does he hurt people?"

"Yes - he can – and he has hurt people before," Zack said. "I don't want to get too much into it, because I really hate gossiping, but I will say that…he's not the easiest person to deal with. He tends to be _very_ blunt, reads into things really deeply and…you need to be careful around him, because he can take things personally, and he doesn't just hold grudges, he harbors them. He's a good man, but…you and he would not get along. Your personalities are totally opposite. He and I do not get along, because…"

Zack fell silent – he had said too much.

"Please keep what I just told you between us," he requested, even though he was fairly certain that Cloud understood that everything they had just discussed was information to be shared only amongst friends. "Nothing that I said leaves this room?"

Cloud nodded – of course, everything would stay between them. He sensed Zack wanted to change the topic, but there was one more question that he had to ask. "I saw something on the back of his shirt," Cloud said, "some kind of logo. What was that?"

"That," Zack said, as they got off the elevator, "was a valkyrie. It's a symbol that he uses on some of his weapons when he fights and he also got the symbol embossed on his shirt."

"I don't understand," Cloud was perplexed. "What is a valkyrie?"

"A warrior whose nature is open to interpretation," Zack said, guiding him down a side hall way. "Some see the valkyries as angels of death who take vengeance in Odin's name…but others see them as his defenders and protectors of those who have no freedom. It is…unclear when some mythology peeps portray the valkyries as monstrous birds of prey who descend upon the dying and others say such warriors take on the forms of swan maidens who appear to give people hope. It's all interesting to him I suppose, but I don't really care to ponder things like that. Mythology bores me and there are other important things to think about, like…the VIP you are about to meet. Are you ready, Cloud?"

"Yeah, sure," Cloud eagerly chirped, not suspecting that peril awaited in the office at the end of the hall. "Lead on, I'll -"

_Zack! WTF are you thinking!_ he panicked. _Get me out of here now_.

~**********~

Cloud paled, his face completely draining of all color as he stared through the office window at an all too familiar silhouette. As he took in the tall, dark shape roaming around the dimly lit office, his wrists fell to his sides, twitching and spasming, and his shoulders tensed. His leg muscles tightened, becoming taut, as he glanced desperately from side to side, suddenly feeling very trapped and boxed in the narrow corridor. Using the strength in his arms to propel himself backwards, he jettisoned away from the window, torpedoing into the wall. Wincing as his spine and shoulder blades rocketed off the wall – hard - he looked up at Zack pleadingly, begging his friend to let him off the hook, and not hold it against him for refusing to go into the office. Cowering against the wall, Cloud shrank back, trying to make himself very small. Praying that the floor would cave in and the Planet would whisk him away and devour him, as it had when he had been on the cliff with Genesis, he hunkered down, squatting like a frightened animal who has been driven into a dead end and cornered by a hunter.

_Please,_ he cried out to the Planet, _Not now….not today…some other time, just not today…_

"Spike?" Zack asked in confusion, watching his friend recoil. "What's wrong, are you ok?"

Cloud's frightened blue eyes darted from the window of the office to his friend, looming above him with a friendly, outstretched hand, and then darted back to the window again. "I'm-I'm just a little surprised," he whispered. "I…I didn't expect that this is where we were headed. I thought that we were going to go meet someone like Angeal, not…"

"General Sephiroth?" Zack helpfully offered. "He called me up before you showed up at the office…wanted to let me know that Angeal had recommended me for SOLDIER 1st and said that he wanted to meet with me."

He shrugged.

"I guess he wants to go over company standards with me, make sure that I understand what the responsibilities are, and take some paperwork back with me. It shouldn't take too long and…"

His eyes widened as he realized that Cloud really was uncomfortable and that this was not shyness or embarrassment on his Spiky's part.

"Cloud," Zack softly said, "I understand how you feel. When I was a cadet, I didn't feel right about walking up to his office, and as a SOLDIER 2nd I still get nervous around him. It can feel kind of intimidating coming up here, cause he's the general and all and a big celebrity, but…once you looked passed all that, you'll see that…he's just another guy like everyone else."

_Just another guy like everyone else?_ Cloud's mind boggled at that statement.

"You do realize you're making the understatement of the year, don't you, Zack?" he asked.

Zack nodded. There was _no way_ that General Sephiroth would ever be like "everyone else." The man was antisocial, suspicious of people, highly mistrustful, and threw up more walls than any other person Zack had encountered to keep the world at bay. He was insecure, self-conscious, extremely critical, and demanded nothing less than absolute perfection from himself so that people would not see his flaws and would leave him alone. Nothing would have pleased the man more, Zack suspected, than for everything to be rolled back, life around him to fade away, and for it to feel as if – as if there were no other people but himself in the world.

"I hear ya," Zack heard Cloud whisper. "He's just another guy like everyone else. I'm not afraid of the fact that he's a big celebrity."

_I'm scared of..._

_I'm scared of how well he can read people,_ Cloud thought, recalling with wildly racing heartbeats how easily Sephiroth had played mind games with him in the past. _He has always been good at reading me inside and out. If I go in there, he will scrutinize me, and it will be even easier for him to see through me now than those times when we fought and it could go badly._

He glowered at Zack, feeling angry with his friend for not telling him that they were going up to Sephiroth's office, and feeling angry with himself for assuming that they were headed off to pay a visit to see someone nice like Angeal.

_If Zack had warned me what we were getting into and I had taken the time to ask,_ Cloud told himself, _I would have had time to prepare for this encounter and to put my shields up, but now I don't have any time, and I'm going to go in there vulnerable._

He lowered his eyes, wishing that he had had a few more days to adjust to his new life in this crazy, insane world before being forced into an encounter with Sephiroth. A few more days would have given him the time that he desperately needed to his emotions under control, learn how to not to react to things that surprised him, and plan how he would approach the general.

"Feeling better, Spike?" Zack asked, taking Cloud's reply as a sign that all was well.

_No, I'm not fine,_ Cloud mournfully thought, as he worried what would happen once he went into that office.

~*********~

Cloud shuddered as Zack raised his hand to knock on the door. Sephiroth had always known how to use just the right words to get a rise out of him. The general was very good at detecting peoples' weaknesses, finding out personal information about them and using it to manipulate them. If he went in now and Sephiroth divined how vulnerable he was, he just _knew_ that General Sephiroth would take everything that he had gleamed about him and harbor it, waiting until a moment arrived when such information could be thrown back in his face to psychologically cripple him.

The rational part of Cloud screamed that General Sephiroth would not do such a thing – that the reincarnated swordsman did not know who he was and had no reason to hate him, but Cloud was afraid, and could not bring himself at that moment to accept reason. His fearful mind told him that even though Sephiroth did not know who he was, Sephiroth was so mistrustful and had been so badly hurt by other people that the general would not hesitate to collect personally damaging information about people whom he did not know "just in case" these people ever got in his way.

~*********~

"Cloud?" Zack asked, bewildered by his friend's silence.

"Yeah, Zack?" Cloud replied.

"Are you going to come inside the office with me?" Zack wondered.

_I – I don't know,_ Cloud's mind screamed. _I am not sure…I'm not….It's what I need to do,_ his mind resigned itself.

"Zack, I -" Cloud weakly nodded.

The thought of going into the office was overwhelming, but if he learned valuable things that would help save the world and help give Sephiroth peace, going in when he was vulnerable would be worth it. The good that he would achieve for everyone far outweighed the discomfort that he would feel as Sephiroth's eyes bore into him, and if the man discovered something that he could use against him and threw it back into his face on a later occasion, so be it. Sephiroth had already hurt him far worse than anyone else ever could and getting hurt by the man again would be nothing new. If the intolerable happened and Sephiroth lashed out at him, mentally and emotionally raping him, he would find a way to cope with it, just as he had dealt with it all those other times. Somehow, he would find a way to let it bounce off him and not let it wound him…

...somehow…

~************~

"Spike?" Zack asked again.

"I'll manage," Cloud struggled, trying to force his features to relax and become cold and indifferent. He turned to face his friend. "Do you have any advice for how I should act around him? Is there anything that I should avoid doing that….that sets him off? I don't want to make him mad." Hopefully, Zackary would have some good insights about the general. It would be helpful to know what Sephiroth was like before they walked into the lion's den.

Zack smiled with relief, glad that his Spiky was going to make the effort to meet the famous general. Cloud had had him seriously worried there for a moment, zoning out like that.

"When it comes to Sephiroth," Zack quietly cautioned, "here's my advice: act normal. Don't act awed by him, impressed with him, or be overly polite – and if he asks you why you want to work for Shinra, don't give him a bullshit answer like…you traveled several hundred miles to enroll because…'oh my god, Sephiroth, you're my hero – gush, gush, gush' unless that _really_ is the reason you came here. He's heard answers like that a million times and he doesn't care for them, nor does he like it when people change their behavior just for him, and give him what they think he wants to hear."

Cloud nodded – that made sense. Someone like Sephiroth would not take well to people who could not be true to themselves – a man like that with trust issues would see such behavior as almost akin to lying. "So don't give him personality," he said.

"Yeah, don't give Sephiroth personality. He has no patience for that kind of stuff and he dismisses those people outright – it's like being artificial or fake to him." Zack exhaled loudly. "The two biggest compliment s you can pay Sephiroth," Zack said, "are treating him with honesty and treating him like he's a normal person – not some god."

Cloud softly snorted. If Zack only knew what a messiah complex Sephiroth had had once he had gone off the deep end…

"Spike?" Zack asked, wondering what was so funny. "I don't understand what just – made you laugh?"

_Oops._

"Nothing in particular," Cloud evasively said, instantly realizing his mistake. "I just…I was thinking that I can see why so many people treat him like a god. He looks strong and powerful and…well, the things that he does don't seem natural. They're pretty amazing…it's no wonder people treat him as if he's god or some kind of avenging angel."

His eyebrows furrowed as Zack cupped his chin unhappily and furrowed his temples.

"Z-zack, are you ok?"

"Yeah," Zack distantly said. "I was just thinking…what you said reminded me of something someone told me once about angels. They asked me what I thought the nature of angels was…and demanded that I tell them why angels weren't monsters…and when I couldn't give them an answer right away, they said…that there was only one thing that angels dream of and that is to be human or something like that. I cannot remember the exact words – probably because the context didn't interest me and I got bored out of my head. I think I heard it when I ended up at a function with Genesis and Angeal and they started arguing about angels and whether angels have honor."

Zack laughed – he could see them getting into a debate like that, especially since Genesis so passionately believed that the nature of valkyries was open to interpretation.

"It wasn't really interesting at all…was the same old, same old…" he explained, reaching out with one hand to press the buzzer.

"Well, Cloud," he said, "he's spotted us and he's going to wonder what we're doing out here if we keep him waiting. Are you ready to go in?"

"Yeah," Cloud quietly said, feeling his stomach churn as Zack stepped forward to open the door. "Ready as I'll ever be."

_Meanwhile, in another part of the building..._

Angeal slipped into his own apartment, two floors up. He quickly undid his weapons harness, tossed it across a chair and sat down to relax. He turned on the fan next to his computer and let cold air whip across his face and cause his black hair to billow back. After three hours of working out in the simulation room battling annoying little cactuar enemies who loved to swarm him and spray him with needles, he was sweaty, mentally and emotionally psyched up and wiped out. It had been an insane work out, but very rewarding, and now he was ready to check his e-mail.

Angeal sat down at his computer. He browsed through his inbox, seeing if there were any important letters from his co-workers or from his student. A quick skim turned up a spam e-mail called "Silver Earring from the Slums" and a message from Director Lazard. The spam e-mail went into his trash folder and the Director's letter was set to the side. Nothing in the e-mail indicated that Director Lazard thought that Zack was a good candidate for 1st, but nothing in the e-mail gave Angeal any reason to believe that the Director was going to dismiss the recommendation either. Lazard's tone was extremely bland and neutral, and Angeal decided that he wanted to take the time to think about it before composing a reply.

Angeal windowed out of the Director's e-mail and scrolled further down the page. He stumbled across an e-mail from Genesis, asking him if he wanted to get together with Sephiroth and spar in the training room when the 2nds were in bed. The idea amused him, so he typed a quick reply – _"sounds like fun" –_ and sent the return e-mail off.

He pulled up his history folder and...

...arched his eyebrows as he saw a link for a website for hydrocone pop up on his screen.

_What on earth is this junk,_ he thought with disgust when he saw that the website did not require people to have prescriptions to purchase habit forming medication, _I don't visit pain killing drug websites. And I certainly wouldn't look up one called "Prescriptions Underground,"_ he sighed, deciding that he needed to investigate this further.

_~***********~_

The investigation ended up taking 45 minutes and Angeal was disheartened to find several other links for several offensive websites in the history file. One site took him to an "informal website" that irresponsibly described how to use opioid medication, while another took him to a page that sounded like it had been written by someone who recreationally used pain killing medication..

Angeal blinked unhappily as he saw that the person whom had been looking at these links had been to the ORDER page, and he sat there in silence, wondering who would do such a thing.

Eventually, he ended up going back to the history file, confirming the dates that the websites had been accessed. He carefully wrote down each date and frowned, as a light bulb went off in his head. He reached for his planner, flipped back several pages, and reviewed the dates that he had made appointments with his friends. He frowned as he double-checked the dates that he had written down, and saw that the dates the websites had been accessed matched the dates when Sephiroth and Genesis had had free reign of his apartment and computer while he had been away on a business trip. Shocked, he closed his planner and pushed away from his desk, as he debated what to do.

It alarmed and disappointed him that one of his two friends was eager to acquire these drugs. Neither Sephiroth nor Genesis had given him any reason to believe that they required strong pain killing medication. That one of them had been researching such powerful medication indicated that there was a health problem that they had not chosen to share with him. Concealing such a health problem from him and acting like everything was okay was a betrayal of trust and worrisome, because it meant that the health problem was probably severe and not some minor thing. And looking up how to order hydrocone from an illicit website like Prescriptions Underground was incomprehensible to him.

Angeal unhappily cupped his chin in his hands and wondered whether Sephiroth could be behind all this. Sephiroth had not exactly been the picture of perfect health lately with the injuries that he had received and he was secretive. Of the two likely suspects, Sephiroth was the most likely candidate, and as he debated whether he should confront his friend, Angeal's eyes fell upon the e-mails sitting in his inbox.

The sight of the Genesis' message reminded him that Sephiroth wanted to sneak into the training room for some late night fun, and he decided to put a stop to it. If Sephiroth was truly suffering, the last thing they needed was to aggravate his back.

Angeal returned to his inbox. He hit the REPLY button, and quickly filled in his two best friends' e-mail addresses. With a click of his mouse, he highlighted the address of the hydrocone website and cut and pasted the URL into the body of the return e-mail. He folded his arms and sat back as his computer sluggishly sent off the e-mail.

Hopefully, his friends would get the point and call off the match.

The words typed in under the cut and pasted URL, after all, had said: _"I don't think we should spar if you are taking hydrocone."_


	7. Transient

**Chapter Seven - Transient**

_Midgar - εуλ 0000_

Sephiroth sat in his office, glaring fiercely at the paperwork littering his work area. He angrily skimmed a letter at the top of the pile, examining it with distaste. Hojo's letters were always a treat to read with their condescending tone and put downs disguised as parental concern for his well-being, and the three letters that the good doctor had sent him today were no exception; the wonderful professor had once again managed to make his skin crawl.

He reached for the black handled scissors Genesis and Angeal had given him as a gift for his birthday, and coldly proceeded to destroy the letters. The letter that expressed outrage that he had concealed the new attack that he had recently learned was the first to go, because it was the stupidest of the three with Hojo refusing to acknowledge that you just don't practice a devastating move like Heartless Angel on live people, and the letters that yelled at him for not maintaining a proper weight bit it next. At twenty-five years of age, it was ludicrous that Hojo was telling him how much weight he should be putting on.

He exultantly gathered up the shredded letters in his hand and marched across his office to the waste bin in the corner. He clapped his hands together over the trash can and let the mangled pieces of paper float free. As they fell slowly, descending gracefully like light feathers riding the air currents of the wind, he snorted and thought about how wonderful it would be to take the scissors that his friends had given him and plunge them into Professor Hojo's unfeeling heart. If Hojo kept sending him stupid letters like the ones that he had sent him this morning, that moment of murder and madness might very well be only a day away.

_I am so sick of this,_ Sephiroth thought, as he drew close to the windows overlooking his balcony.

He pulled back the curtains and stared out, asking himself for the one hundredth millionth time in his life why he put up with this shit. It got so old going through the same routine day after day with Hojo – coming in to work, sitting down at his desk, and knowing that when he checked his e-mail, letters or answering machine, there would be some kind of snide message from the demented scientist, reminding him that nearly every aspect of his life was carefully monitored and regulated by the science department. It seemed that not an hour could go by without Hojo getting up in his face and trying to exert some kind of social, emotional or psychological control over him. It was as if the height of Hojo's day – no, the reason for Hojo's existence – was to ensure that he lived out his life as a marionette, who could be manipulated however the science department pleased, and whom had no free will of his own.

If President Shinra and Hojo did see him as nothing more than a brain dead marionette, he would not be surprised – no, not in the least. Hojo already saw him as a tool, so viewing him as a marionette would be consistent for the cruel professor, and President Shinra had reminded him time and time again that although he was general, nobody in Shinra wanted him to articulate his thoughts or feelings or express ideas.

_Well,_ Sephiroth growled, as he caught a glimpse of his unnatural jade colored-eyes, flawless white skin and long silver hair in the glass, _this pretty little puppet has free will of its own and one of these days, they are going to feel my sting!_

He ran his fingers over the sharp edge of the scissors and tried to imagine how shocked they would be if he took the scissors to his hair and cut it all off to show them they could not dictate how to live his life. President Shinra would be appalled, horrified that he had mutilated one of the features that made him highly marketable and sellable and Hojo…Hojo would not give a damn if he cut all his pretty hair, never having really cared for it in the first place, but the slimy little man would notice that it was an act of defiance and get all consternated inside.

Pulling Hojo's strings and jerking the self-righteous bastard around would be a lot of fun, and it would be oh so rewarding to make Hojo think that he was going to start undermining him and sabotaging his projects next.

However, embarrassing Hojo and making him mad would have to wait.

It was just not a risk that Sephiroth was willing to take when…there was a chance that he would need Hojo to be cooperative and write him prescriptions for even heavier duty pain killing medication than the moderately strong meds he was taking now.

~*************~

Sephiroth sighed and thought about the hydrocone e-mail Angeal had sent him.

His best friend was meddling, and he would need to lie to him next time he saw him to get him off his back.

Angeal, he had no doubt, would believe whatever bullshit story he told him, because he had been deceiving his two best friends for years.

They had no idea that he was such a skillful liar and he had no plans to tell them how good he was. They would flip out if they found out that he had been lying to them ever since a mutual acquaintance had introduced them to each other and they would not understand how important it was for him to tell lies as a defense mechanism. Unable to look beyond their feelings of hurt and betrayal, they would not be able to place themselves in his shoes and see how angry and betrayed he felt that he had had no say in how he wanted to live his life.

They would never understand – for they were not like him.

~****************~

Sephiroth returned to his desk and tried to resume his work.

As he leaned back in his chair, he became aware of the sound of hushed voices talking outside his door. His eyes narrowed as he realized that he had not been as alone as he had thought he had been when he had gone pacing about the room, thinking about his friends and thinking about ways to annoy Hojo.

His lips twisted into a smirk as he looked out the window and saw Zack and Cloud standing outside his door.

_How appropriate that they should show up when I am thinking about how fortunate I am to have Genesis and Angeal in my life,_ Sephiroth mentally laughed. _They make me realize just how lucky I am. Looking at this catastrophe, I feel triply blessed to have Genesis and Angeal as my friends, and very sad for you, Zackary, because you have that little truant following you around wherever you go. They say that the misfortunes of others truly make you appreciate what you have – it appears that they were right._

He folded his arms and waited for Zackary and the Blond Plague to come inside and take a seat.

_Well, are you coming in?_ he wondered, and began to silently count to thirty as he gazed at them through slitted eyes.

When thirty seconds passed, he counted to sixty, thinking that they needed a minute perhaps, and when a minute passed, he gave them fifty more seconds, thinking that perhaps they needed two minutes to get their act together. When two minutes passed and he was sick of counting and they still showed no signs of coming in, he calmly pulled up Cloud Strife's record on his computer screen.

_This Strife kid is truly a piece of work,_ he thought, eyes narrowing as he realized that the little blond brat was trying to stall by forcing Zack to have some kind of stupid social conversation in the hall with him.

The general grimaced - spectacularly unimpressed that Cloud was manipulating Zack, keeping the SOLDIER from letting him go. Irritated that Cloud was showing such disregard for other people and that the concept of not interrupting people during their work hours had gone over Cloud's head, Sephiroth pressed a button, turning on the speakers outside his office door so that he could hear what they were saying. He grabbed a pen and prepared to make note of any interesting things that Cloud was saying – the better to use any incriminating comments against the little ass. If Cloud turned out to be one of those kids who was stupid enough to make rude comments about his superior officers, it would only give him extra things to nail him for when he wrote him up.

To Sephiroth's disappointment, the conversation was not as offensive as he had hoped it would be.

Cloud and Zack were talking about him, which was annoying, but no surprise, given his status. Cloud was asking stupid questions, asking SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack how he should act around the big, scary general, because he was afraid of setting him off and making him mad and Zack was advising his little friend to act himself, be polite to the big, scary general and avoid giving him what you think he wants to hear. Most important, Zack was saying, "Don't give him personality. He doesn't like that."

"Okay," Cloud was saying with a voice that sounded as if it lacked confidence and conviction, "don't give him personality. Thanks for the advice…Zack."

Sephiroth arched an eyebrow at these words. Was that fear that he detected in the boy's breathing pattern, he wondered.

Yes, it sure came across as fear, and that made him wonder if Cloud knew that he was doing bad things and was feeling guilty?

Yes, that could be it…and yet Cloud was behaving so manipulatively, trying to keep Zack from his meeting that Sephiroth doubted that Cloud Strife was capable of feeling any guilt or regret. No, Sephiroth decided, Strife was someone who enjoyed being manipulative.

~***********~

Hmm, what was this now? Sephiroth pressed his ear against the speakers.

"I can see why so many people treat him as a god," Strife was inanely sputtering. "He looks strong and powerful…and…well, it's no wonder people treat him as if he's god or some kind of avenging angel."

Pfft. Sephiroth snorted and rolled his eyes as he listened to the blond flounder. Not only did it appear that Cloud Strife was manipulative, but it also appeared that the kid was stupid to the extreme, saying inane things like that. Hopefully, the brat would be smart enough not to come into his office and say stupid things like that face-to-face, otherwise he would find himself getting a swift kick in the head and his ass being booted out the door. He had very little patience for Cloud Strife as it was, and he was 100% positive that he was not in the mood to listen to flattery.

_If he sucks up to me, I will toss him out the window,_ Sephiroth promised himself, and with that promise in mind, he turned off the speakers, stuffed the detention slips back in his desk, and spread the contents of Zack Fair's file across his desk. Acting like he had been very intently reading the file and had no idea that they had been lurking outside his office, he looked up with surprise as Zack opened the door and confidently marched in, dragging little lost Cloud Strife in tow. Deciding that he did not want to give the irritating little suck up any attention until business had been taken care of, he acted as if he had not seen Cloud enter the room with Zackary.

"Hello, Zackary," Sephiroth said, smiling warmly at the young SOLDIER.

He motioned for his upcoming SOLDIER 1st to take a seat in the only chair in front of his desk. Looking Zackary directly in the eyes, he let him know that he was welcome, and that they were all very excited about the recommendation. Cloud Strife was left standing, in the back of the room by the coat closet where the general kept his uniforms, unacknowledged and neglected.

"I am sorry that it took so long," Zack apologized, praying that Sephiroth had not noticed him standing outside his office for a good six minutes. "It took us a while to get up here." He looked sideways at Cloud, hoping that the general would take an interest in his friend.

No such luck.

_Sorry, Zackary,_ Sephiroth thought. _I'm not falling for that_.

Sephiroth shook his head, apparently not bothered in the least that they were late. "You have nothing to apologize for, Zackary," he said, carefully selecting his words so that they excluded Cloud Strife. "It can be very hard to get an elevator at this hour and I understand that _you_ needed to finish up what you were doing before you came here. As far as I am concerned, your timing was perfect. How do you feel about _your_ recommendation for SOLDIER 1st?"

He couldn't have asked a more distracting question – Zack's entire face lit up, a mixture of embarrassment, pride and happiness. "It is an incredible honor, sir," Zack said, breathlessly. "It feels amazing and…"

He reached to shake Sephiroth's hand and pouted as the general violently leaned back in his chair, quickly getting his hands out of the way.

"Okay, okay," Zack said apologetically. "Handshakes I see are not cool. Guess you don't do that kind of thing as the general?" He laughed nervously, hoping that Sephiroth would not be offended by his attempt to diffuse the situation.

Sephiroth rolled his green eyes. "Handshakes are out for now," he said, as Zack recovered from his disappointment and gave him the thumbs up sign, "but I will be the first person to give you a handshake and welcome you onboard if the recommendation goes through."

He grunted with mild annoyance as Zack brightened and gave him an enormous grin.

"Shaking your hand when you get promoted is protocol, though," Sephiroth hastily added.

"Yeah, I get it," Zack said, sighing with mock hurt. "It's something you _have to do_ as general then."

"But maybe," Sephiroth leaned forward and looked knowingly at the black-haired young man, "it is something that I will want to do then. Very few people are recommended for SOLDIER 1st, Zackary, and even fewer get promoted, so it would call for a handshake, don't you think?" He tilted his head, making sure that Cloud Strife was listening carefully to everything that he said and that he had the cadet's full attention. "I'm happy for you, Zackary," he said, as sincerely as he could manage when he was in the middle of _manipulating the manipulator_ and making him _feel like he was on the outside looking in_ , "and this is something that you should be extremely proud of. You've worked very hard for this recommendation and all the hard work has paid off."

Zack's face flushed red. "I-I try to work hard," he said, caught totally off guard by the praise. "I always try to do my best, but – I wasn't aiming for the recommendation. I was just trying to perform my best and do well and the recommendation is a nice thing. It's kind of a nice consequence of all the hard work – that's how I look at it."

"Well," Sephiroth said, staring balefully at Cloud in the corner, "you deserve it. You are skillful, talented and most important to me, you're honorable and you consistently follow company policies. You have strong work ethic, you see eye to eye with company values, and you possess high moral character. You're the type of person that we can trust to do their best and do as they are told without question."

Zack blinked. Was he hearing things right? Did Sephiroth go in for a brain transplant? It sure sounded like the general had traded brains with Angeal. "I-thank you, sir," Zack said, wishing that Angeal's influence had not rubbed off so much on Sephiroth. "I try to follow company procedure at all times and I really respect company values. It's important to me to do that – to…ummm, make sure that I'm doing the right thing for the company. I really think it is good to have strong work ethic and to have a high moral character, yeah…"

He faltered, trailing off, as he wondered where the hell Sephiroth was going with this. It seemed unusual for the general to preach Angeal's gospel. Was this some kind of last minute test that Sephiroth was putting him through to see if he was a good fit for SOLDIER 1st? He hoped not – watching General Sephiroth manipulate someone would not make his sensitive Spiky feel at ease around the man.

"I try to be honorable and…I want to go through with the recommendation. What do I need to do?" he asked, hoping to get Sephiroth out of dreams, pride and honor mode.

Sephiroth reached under his desk, pulling out the thickest packet of papers Zack had ever seen. "You need to read this front to back," he said, casting his eyes away from Cloud, "and you need to respond the questions on the third page."

He flipped to the list of questions, letting Zack see that he had a lot to answer.

"Because Director Lazard has requested your responses right away," Sephiroth smoothly lied, well-aware that Lazard did not expect to have the questions in for at least a week, "I think that we should go ahead and answer them while you are here. I have pen and paper that you can use, and here is a tape recorder. You can use the paper I've provided you to take notes before you reply to the questions – it will help you out…

"Make a list of ideas, create a web to organize your thoughts to show how it all fits together, write out your ideas, and then practice reading everything a few times to make sure it sounds good." Sephiroth said. "Once you've done all that and feel comfortable," he continued, in a bored tone of voice that would have insulted the intelligence of anyone except for a kindergartner, who was still learning to brainstorm, read and write, "you can record your replies, and hopefully it will turn out to be a good interview tape for Director Lazard. Try to do your best – it needs to be a really good tape – and you will want to look at the company manual. Some of the questions ask about company policy."

Zack frowned as he skimmed the list of thirty questions and saw that some of the questions asked broad, open-ended things like, _"Describe your childhood and tell us why life experiences you have had would make you a good fit for SOLDIER"._ "I'll – I'll try my best," he stammered, and shot his Spiky an apologetic glance. He had no idea that this would take so long. "Am I – under a time limit or can I take all day to answer these questions? I need to know."

_I hope you are not going to rush this so you have room in the day for your social life,_ Sephiroth scathingly thought, but instead of expressing such thoughts out loud, he merely motioned to the adjacent office directly next to his, and beckoned for Zackary to follow him – the better to get Cloud alone."You can take all the time you need," he said, his tone becoming very serious, "don't feel at all rushed. You wouldn't want this to be less than anything but the perfect interview!"

He carefully clambered to his feet, making sure that he did not stress his back in the process.

"I think though," he continued, holding up a set of office keys, "that you should go somewhere else to conduct the interview. You can use this office to compose your ideas and answer the questions – trying to answer them in here would not be a good idea, because I am going to be on the phone and typing, and you don't want the sound of me typing and talking in the background to get picked up on your tape and I don't want the sound of you talking interrupting my business calls. I also don't think…that certain parties in this room should hear some of the confidential information you are going to be reading out loud. It's really not appropriate for other people to hear privileged information like your social number and ID codes, is it?"

"Yeah," Zack said, with some annoyance. He did not care at all to have Sephiroth single his friend out like that. "Information like that shouldn't be spread around, but…before I go in there, can I introduce you to my friend, sir? This is…"

"Sky Strife," Sephiroth cut him off, recalling how condescending Angeal had sounded the other night when he had gotten Cloud's name wrong. He headed into the adjacent office and placed the interview materials on the table. "I've seen him around before."

"Sir?" Zack asked, extremely confused by what Sephiroth had said. "His name is _Cloud_ Strife…"

"Sky Strife, yes," Sephiroth insisted, as if he hadn't heard a thing. "Angeal told me that he had seen you and your friend, Sky Strife, hanging out in the halls. From the look of him, he'll make quite a fantastic infantryman." He hustled a protesting Zack Fair in and blocked the doorway with his formidable frame. He looked over his shoulder. "Hello, Sky Strife," he unenthusiastically waved. He then turned back to the interview materials. "Ready to give it your best, Zackary?"

"Oh yeah, I'm ready!" Zack said, but inside he was feeling anything but gung-ho and enthusiastic.

It had been his hope that introducing Cloud to the general would go well and Sephiroth would take an interest in his friend, but it appeared that he had been seriously mistaken. Not only had he failed to introduce the two the way that he had originally planned, but he was now getting the impression that forcing the two to interact with each other would not be welcome. For some reason, it appeared that Sephiroth had taken one look at his Spiky, and decided that it was not worth the effort to get to know him. The general's reluctance to greet his friend, lack of interest in acknowledging that he was there, and total unwillingness to take the time to get his friend's name right all indicated to Zack that Sephiroth had prematurely dismissed Cloud, lumping him in with all those other people he distrusted.

Why Sephiroth felt this way about Cloud was totally mind-boggling to Zack when his Spiky had not done anything that could have possibly agitated or irritated the general. His best friend had been nothing but polite and respectful, nodding his head considerately at Sephiroth when they had walked in the office, and he had not said or done anything to call attention to himself. He had shown that he respected work hours and the chain of command, quietly taking himself off to the corner to let the two of them discuss official SOLDIER business, and, most importantly, he had been true to himself and not acted in an insincere manner. Determined to try to make this work, Cloud had taken the advice he had been given in the hallway, and had avoided acting awestruck, fearful or fake, treating Sephiroth like an ordinary human being. That Sephiroth should be so quick to dismiss someone who had been so courteous felt…unfair and unjust.

_I guess Sephiroth really doesn't like to look beyond his clique and make the effort to see the good in new people,_ Zack sighed, as he watched Cloud turn his head away. _What a shame – and it looks like Spike's feelings are hurt now, too. Damn it, I didn't intend for It to go this way and it's not gonna go down the tube if I can help it._

"Sir," Zack said, determined to stand up for his Spiky, "thank you for having such confidence in me. It means a lot to me. I will give these questions my best and continue working hard, whether I make 1st or not, and…Cloud also has been working hard. He and I are trying for the same thing –and someday in the future, maybe in less than a year's time from now, it's going to be him in this same office, answering the same questions. We're going to be like First Sergeant Hewley and Commander Rhapsodos and achieve our dreams together."

_You've got to be kidding me,_ Sephiroth laughed. _I can't believe what you just said. Keep Cloud Strife far away from SOLDIER and don’t compare yourselves to Genesis and Angeal. Cloud is nothing like them, nor will he ever be in their league._

Sephiroth turned around, fixing his eyes on the skittish looking manipulator in the corner. "By that statement," he asked, his voice giving no hint of how ludicrous he thought the idea was, "I take it that you are implying that your friend plans on taking the SOLDIER entrance exams and has dreams to become a SOLDIER 1st? I – respect that," he said, his indifferent tone softening. "I think it is admirable that he has hopes and dreams like you do?"

Encouraged that Sephiroth seemed to be showing some interest in his friend now, Zack tried to push the general to approach Cloud. "Maybe while I am in the other room answering the questions," he suggested, intentionally lowering his voice so Cloud would not hear them, "you could ask him if he wants to become a hero. I realize that you're very busy and he can't stay here the entire time while I'm reviewing the handbook and all, but…just five minutes with him please? It would mean a lot to him." He cringed, hoping that that last statement would not make Sephiroth think that Cloud was an awestruck kid he had dragged up here so he could meet his idol. "He admires you," he quickly said, "but isn't a crazy fan boy. He's not going to go asking for your autograph. If you don't mind, sir, could you…."

_I would like nothing better than some alone time with him,_ Sephiroth thought.

Keeping his expression neutral, Sephiroth acted as if he was considering the idea. "I need to finish a few things up," he skeptically said. "I have a lot of work to do, but…"

He looked slyly at Zack, and then gave the boy half a smile, sensing that nothing would please Angeal's Puppy more than going out of his way to give the appearance that he was going to make Cloud Strife feel welcome. That, after all, had been the reason that Zackary had dragged the little truant up to his office, yes? So they could meet and he would be wowed by his little SOLDIER 1st aspiring friend?

"Sometimes work can wait, I suppose…" Sephiroth continued, his voice conciliatory. "While you are answering those questions, I suppose I can give him ten minutes of my time to talk to him, but then…" He slithered passed Zack, eager to get out of the tiny adjacent office. "Once those ten minutes are up, he needs to go back to class. He has courses he needs to take and I have paperwork that is due this evening. Does what I propose sound good to you?"

Zack smiled, surprised that Sephiroth had decided to give Cloud ten minutes of one on one time. That was far better than he could have hoped for. "I know that you are very busy," he said demurely. "Thank you for your time – I really appreciate it and I know he's going to appreciate it, sir."

Sephiroth rolled his eyes. "Why don't you get to work, Zackary," he asked, his eyes sparking dangerously. "I said that you had plenty of time to answer those questions, but I did not say unlimited time. When I head home tonight, I expect you to be out of my office and those questions to be on Director Lazard's desk."

"Oh!" Zack looked abashed. "Sorr…hey…." he squawked, having no time to react as Sephiroth slammed the door shut, closing it in his face.

~************~

With Zack out of the way, Sephiroth clasped his hands behind his back and turned around very slowly to size up the blond-haired brat, ostracized and helpless in the corner.

He leaned against the door, carefully pondering what he had discovered about Cloud.

It came as no surprise to him that he was dealing with a timid, socially awkward child who was highly uncomfortable with other people and who felt out of place when he was forced to be around them or interact with them. Cloud's hunched over body shoulders, evasive glances and aloof demeanor all screamed to the general that this was a person who would rather be holed up in their dorm than find themselves trapped up here with him or mobbed by other students in the halls. Such a child, Sephiroth rationalized, was likely to be very annoying and obnoxious, because they would be highly self-conscious, terrible at reading people, and be driven by their insecurities to seek out constant affirmation and approval from their peers. Such self-destructive behavior would have negative consequences, making sane people want to avoid the unconfident, low-on-self-esteem brat, and it would not be surprising to Sephiroth in the very least if Cloud Strife had pushed everyone but Zackary and Reno away with his self-alienating behavior. Based on how crazy Cloud Strife managed to drive everyone with such personality traits, he doubted that the boy had very many friends who actually cared about him and wanted to be around him.

_Yes,_ Sephiroth thought, _I highly doubt that he has that many friends. If he was well-adjusted, he would not be freaking out at the thought of his friend "letting him go" and leaving him. What a stupid, immature little child,_ he laughed to himself, as he smiled at loud and said, "AHEM!" to get the boy's attention.

Cloud turned around and stared at Sephiroth. As their eyes met, Cloud was shocked to see that the denial, longing and anger that he had seen in Genesis and Mrs. Williams' eyes were the same emotions that he saw barely being suppressed in the eyes of the mighty general standing before him. _I suspected that he gave people personality,_ Cloud thought with dismay, _but I had no idea that he was going to be this bad. The look that he just gave me was so contrived and…even the way that he decorates this room feels like an extension of his fake personality. The neat, orderly, pristine way he has everything set up doesn't give me the sense that there is a human being who works here with likes, dislikes and interests. It feels so empty. and vacuous._

He stood there, motionless as a statue, as he considered the formidable task that lay before him.

When he had come in here and seen how kindly Sephiroth had greeted Zack and seen how patient the man had seemed, he had felt hopeful that things would be different this time around, and that Sephiroth would be approachable, receptive to other people, and willing to see the good in people. He could see now, however, that he had been mistaken and that the sad, withdrawn man standing in the corner had the exact same personality traits as the mass murderer who had burned his home town to the ground.

He sighed, knowing that the Planet had had the opportunity to change Sephiroth's life for the better when it had rolled back time, and that it could have recreated things so that Sephiroth could have learned to see the good in people. For whatever reason, though, the Planet had rejected what would have been a really good idea, and had chosen to reincarnate Sephiroth in all of his mistrustful and alienated glory.

_I guess,_ Cloud thought bitterly, as his shoulders bumped against a bookcase, _the Planet wants to challenge me._

_~**************~_

"Cadet," Sephiroth sternly said, causing Cloud to tense and freeze up. "What do you think of Shinra? How do you like attending school here?"

The question sounded innocent enough, but Cloud suspected that it was anything but that. Now that Zack was in the other room and he was isolated, he was all Sephiroth's, and Cloud had a feeling that the mind games he dreaded were about to begin. With no one else to interfere and disapprove of what the general was doing, Sephiroth could psychologically torment him and play with him however he chose.

_Oh no, we are not going there,_ Cloud desperately thought, as he looked up and saw that Sephiroth was back at his desk and staring directly at him. _Please, don't go there._

But it was obvious that they were headed in that direction, for Sephiroth leaned forward, daring Cloud to answer the question.

"Well?" the general purred, "what do you think of Shinra? Do you like your courses? How do you like being a cadet?"

_What are you trying to get at with this question,_ Cloud wondered, eyes darting over to the door. Heading back to class and ignoring the question was beginning to look like a very good idea.

Yet…if he did that...he would only reinforce Sephiroth's belief that new people should not be given a chance and were totally unworthy of being trusted. If a repeat of Nibelheim was to be prevented, Sephiroth would need to see that there were good people in the world, and rudely walking out the door and refusing to answer a simple question would not help open the general's eyes. As much as Cloud hated to answer the question, for fear that it would be playing into the game that Sephiroth seemed to be playing, giving Sephiroth a direct, honest answer was something that _needed_ to be done.

_Whatever you do,_ Cloud told himself, as his skin began to feel clammy, his temples flushed and his mind felt lightheaded and airy, _don't say or do anything that will let him spot a weakness. Give him an honest answer, but don't reveal more information about yourself than necessary, and don't make the reply personal_.

"I-I hear you, sir," Cloud softly said, "and I'm going to answer the question. I'm…just thinking…"

_About how to give me the answer I want to hear,_ Sephiroth concluded. _This ought to be good – tell me what you think I want you to say._

"I…" Cloud hesitated. "I think that some of the courses are interesting and some are less interesting…like… _The Promise of Shinra_ course, but….whether a course is interesting or not, I think that all these classes I'm taking are going to help me in the long run so I can achieve my goal of…" He strained, trying to build up his confidence. The last thing he wanted was for his voice to croak in front of Sephiroth. "I want to work for Shinra, sir," he said. "I came here to take these classes so I could one day work for Shinra."

This reply made Sephiroth look at Cloud peculiarly. The answer was not the artificial answer that he would expect from some self-conscious, manipulative little kid who was trying to tell him what he thought he wanted to hear, but he could not say that he liked it nonetheless. The wording seemed very careful – way too careful for his taste – and the response seemed intentionally vague, revealing very little about Cloud Strife. It was all good and well that Cloud Strife was enjoying his classes, that he wanted to work for Shinra and that he had taken some stupid course called _The Promise of Shinra,_ but what about the boy's hopes and dreams? What did he hope to accomplish, who inspired him, and more importantly, who were the boy's friends? Find out what drove the boy and who he cared about and you had yourself some nice, juicy information that you could use against him. If you deduced such things, you could take a stab at his heart, threatening to endanger the things he cherished. Cloud's responses could definitely use a more _personal_ touch.

"I am glad to see that you want to work for Shinra," Sephiroth droned. "In what capacity would you like to work for the company, may I ask? I get the impression that Zackary means a lot to you as a role model and as a friend. I assume, then, that you want to follow in his footsteps and get into SOLDIER?"

"I-I am working hard to get into SOLDIER," Cloud replied, phrasing his response so that it left Zackary out as much as possible, "but not because of Zack. I can see how Zack possesses characteristics that make him a great role model, but I don't want to make SOLDIER because of him. I want to make SOLDIER because…"

_Because I am trying to prevent you from going medieval on our asses,_ Cloud thought. Aloud to Sephiroth, however, he said, "I'm doing it 'cause I want to make a difference."

"Hmph," Sephiroth said, and he decided to launch his surprise.

"Come here, cadet," he said, the mood altering pain killing drugs he had already gotten a hold of and stuffed into his body making it easier for his mind to justify setting Cloud up for such cruelty, "I have something I want to show you. It is something that is of interest to a person, such as yourself, who is aiming for SOLDIER."

Cloud took a deep breath and tried to ease his shoulders and relax his leaden leg muscles, letting some of the tension go. He was not sure that he wanted to approach Sephiroth's desk, but…Perhaps, he rationalized, the general was not trying to manipulate him or play mind games with him. Perhaps, he mused, Sephiroth genuinely did want to encourage him to pursue his dreams, and perhaps these questions were harmless after all. As the General, Sephiroth worked mainly with the SOLDIER 1sts, and was out of touch with everyone else, so it would make sense if he suddenly decided to take an interest in a rising student.

"What do you have to show me?" Cloud asked, deciding that Sephiroth was most likely trying to reach out to him as a student. He took a step forward, drawing close to the desk. "What is…"

He picked up the detention slip and his hand started shaking as he realized what it was.

"This detention slip," Sephiroth coldly said, "represents your lack of integrity and honor. Ever since you came here, Cloud Strife, you have been nothing but a burden and a troublemaker with your poor behavior. We don't tolerate antics like cutting class - and you have cut class on at least nine different occasions according to your record - missing curfew, sneaking in through restricted staff entrances with Reno and John Brown, and walking into staff members' offices during their work hours and disrupting them. It's unacceptable – and I am putting a stop to it."

_How…_ Cloud's mouth fell open. How had Sephiroth found out about some of these things, such as…sneaking around with Reno? Had someone gone mouthing off about what he had done or had…Cloud drew close to the huge windows and realized, as he peered down at the lot below them, that Sephiroth's office overlooked the restricted staff door that he and Reno had snuck through the night before. _Damn!_

"Because you are spectacularly impressive at failing to follow the rules around here," Sephiroth said cruelly, "you have won yourself ten hours of detention. Congratulations, Cloud Strife, you win the prize! The nice letter that I have written for you will tell you which drill sergeant you should go see to work off your time – and if you fail to show up for your detentions and decide not to serve your time, I will see to it that you get a month's worth of detention time, you got that?"

He slapped a second piece of paper he had written up on the desk next to the detention slip.

"This," he continued, "is a set of instructions for the two essays you also owe me. By the end of this week, I want two ten thousand word essays on my desk – and if you fail to produce the essays or they are less than ten thousand words each, you are also going to get your ass handed to you." He watched as all color drained from Cloud's face. "The first essay you owe Angeal for your dishonest behavior, as he was the one who spotted you and Reno sneaking around. For the assignment, you are to find a SOLDIER 1st and interview them about dreams, discipline and honor. You are to be upfront about why you are doing this assignment and explain to them what you have done to land yourself in trouble – and if he makes SOLDIER 1st, you are not to interview Zack. As for the second assignment…I expect a thorough, well-thought essay that reviews ten separate hair care products. You are to describe each hair care product, discuss how the products are to be used, and present a compelling argument to convince me to buy them."

_You have got to be kidding_. Cloud stared blankly at the paper Sephiroth had thrust his way, wondering if this was for real. Sure enough, there were the words "essay" and "hair care products" scrawled on the paper.

"I'm confused," he whispered. "I thought…"

"Whatever you think," Sephiroth snapped, losing all patience, "is irrelevant. Either get yourself together – or get out. We have no tolerance for this kind of behavior around here – and if you think you are going to get into SOLDIER being the way you are, you need to wake up and stop sniffing glue, or whatever it is you and Reno have been smelling together when you cut classes." He rose to his feet and started for the door. Forcefully throwing it open, he gestured dramatically to the hall, stretching out before them. "Run along, Cloud," he snarled, pointing to the elevator at the end of the hall. "I have work I need to do and I am not going to stand here all day telling you what a poor fit I think you are for SOLDIER and for Shinra. SOLDIER has no room for people like you and I doubt the army wants you either. Get out – now."

Cloud nodded miserably, not sure what to make of this display of anger, and not sure that he understood what he had done to make Sephiroth so mad. Zack had told him that Sephiroth had a formidable temper, but the tantrum that the general had just thrown was overwhelming in its intensity, and the anger that was flooding the room felt manic. The last time he had experienced such over the top, irrational anger had been when…he and Tifa had been dealing with someone who was high back in Kalm…

Shocked and humiliated, he gathered up his things and scooted out into the hallway.

He heard the door slam shut behind him and when he turned around, saw Sephiroth's angry face peering out at him through the window.

"Good to see you, Cloud," Sephiroth coldly said...

...and with that he pulled down the blinds.


	8. Valkyrie

**Chapter Eight - Valkyrie**

_Midgar - εуλ 0000_

Cloud stood outside his locker, staring gloomily at the piece of paper that Sephiroth had given him. Classes had let out for the day and he now owed the general detention. As he put away his things, he wondered whether he would raise eyebrows when he checked in with the drill sergeant who oversaw detention in the gym. _I probably'll be the laughingstock of the gym_ , he dryly thought as he gathered up his phys. ed clothes.

He shoved his uniform into his backpack and stormed into the nearest elevator.

As the elevator doors closed behind him, he wondered when he would be able to find time to practice for the entrance exams. With homework - and now detention - eating up his time, getting practice time in looked hopeless.

The elevator eventually beeped loudly, signaling that they had arrived on the lower levels.

He stepped off the elevator and walked down a long, narrow gray corridor that was very dull and bland compared to the colorfully decorated lobby and the bright, cheery staff floors.

Freezing air billowed out of the air ducts, blasting him in the face, as he walked cautiously down the hall, carefully reading the name plaques that hung over each door. Never having had to serve detention with Sergeant Jackson before, he was uncertain which office he was supposed to go into. He supposed that if it came to it, he could knock on each door until he finally found Sergeant Jackson's office, but if it could be helped…getting to know all the drill sergeants was something he decided he really would rather not do. He did not particularly care to broadcast to the world that he was being punished by Sephiroth.

~************~

"Looking for someone?" a kind voice asked.

"Yes - I am," Cloud answered.

He turned around and found himself staring into the eyes of a SOLDIER who reminded him of Zack.

"Hello," he politely said. "Yeah, I actually am looking for someone. I'm trying to find Sergeant Jackson's office, but…" He cast about the hall one final time and shrugged with resignation. "I don't know which office he is in. Maybe you can help me, if you don't mind, please?"

"Sure, I can do that," the SOLDIER offered. "Try the last door on the right…behind you."

"Oh," Cloud said, "thank you. It looks as though I overshot it by four doors. I don't really…"

The older man walked over to the door, pushed it in and held it open for him. "What you're trying to say is you're not sure where Sergeant Jackson's room is, because you don't normally see him," the SOLDIER evenly said, sensing that Cloud was not here to request a sword so that he could spar with the people on the floor. "I understand – when I was a cadet, I got sent here too from time to time." He smiled empathetically, hoping that he could make what he suspected was a detention less embarrassing for the friendly-looking blond kid standing in the hall beside him. "Come on in – this way." He watched the young cadet nod appreciatively, then gratefully slip passed him under his outstretched arm into the locker room connected to Mr. Jackson's office.

"Thanks," Cloud muttered.

"Okay then," the SOLDIER told Cloud. "What brings you here? My name is Private Maguire, and I help out Sergeant Jackson. Sergeant Jackson is in a staff meeting right now and will not be back for thirty minutes. I am filling in for him until he returns. You can wait for him to return or I can try to help you now."

"Now is fine, sir," Cloud replied. "I have some time that I need to serve and it's better that I do it now than later."

Private Maguire nodded, understanding the blond kid's sentiment. _If I was serving detention, I would want to get it over with also_.

"All right," Private Maguire said, taking the detention slip, "let's see what we have here. It looks as though you…" His eyes fell upon the name at the end and he almost whistled out loud, in spite of himself. "It looks like he wants you to either work on your homework or do workouts," Private Maguire commented, staring at Cloud in astonishment. "Do you have a preference what you want to do?"

He was greeted with silence.

Maguire blinked and twirled the pen around in between his fingers, still not sure what to make of the fact that the quiet, unassuming, inoffensive looking boy in front of him was being written up for dishonorable and disruptive behavior. "I take it by your gym uniform you want to work out?" he inquired.

"Yeah, I'll work out," Cloud said, stiffening under Maguire's gaze. "I can't really do my assignments in here."

He turned away, letting distant eyes focus on the rows of lockers and the shower stalls instead. His blue eyes took in the plain washed walls, and as they did the fire that had been blazing fiercely in the center of inflexible, battle-hardened irises faded a little, becoming softer. When he turned around and looked at Private Maguire again, it was as though a mist had descended upon the storm that had been raging in his blue irises, and everything was now foggy and hazy.

"Is there anything that I should know about detention?" Cloud asked, wishing that the man sitting next to him was the tough-talking, take-no-prisoners Sergeant Jackson and not a nice SOLDIER who was having a hard time concealing his disappointment with his conduct. He was not in the mood to get into a debate with the SOLDIER about how he should mend his ways. What was done was done, he had learned from his mistakes, why dwell on it? "It's been ages since I had to serve one."

_You're certainly making up for the lack of detentions you've served,_ Private Maguire mused.

He shook his head, suddenly not sure what to think. He had learned a long time ago that appearances could be deceiving and Cloud Strife was a box of complexities. Within less than minutes, the kid had gone from polite and lost to direct, and now it appeared that the cadet was being very cautious and suspicious. He could understand the suspiciousness, because a kid who behaved poorly was likely to have had bad experiences with authority figures, but he couldn't help feeling as though the kid was overdoing it. It seemed unnecessary to him to weigh one's replies before speaking, which was what the blond boy seemed to be doing. For Gaia's sake, this was only a detention, it was not like the boy was being interrogated by the security guards or having to present and defend a thesis.

"All right," Private Maguire said, "the rules we have here are no chewing gum, food, drinks other than water, or entertainment. This includes headsets, handheld systems, comic books or computers. We hate to forbid people from bringing in laptops, because most people use them to work on their assignments, but we've had a few incidents where people have abused the privilege and used their time to play games, log on to chat servers or visit non-academic websites during their detentions, so for now, laptop computers are not allowed. Do you have any of those things?"

He glanced at Cloud's bright red ears, chilled by the nearly unbearable cold air. "We also don't permit people to wear jewelry," he cautioned the cadet. "Sports watches are permitted, but jewelry that can snag, such as bracelets and hoop earrings, cannot be brought into the gym. Are you wearing any jewelry that would be a liability?"

"No, sir," Cloud said, rolling up his sleeves so that Private Maguire could see the only "jewelry" he was wearing was his black watch.

"Okay then," Private Maguire continued. "I am going to need you to sign in. After you have signed in, you may go into the gym, and then you need to stay in there until your detention is up, unless you need anything. If you need to use the bathroom at any point, retrieve an item from your backpack or get a drink of water, come back here and let me know. Once your detention is over, you are to return to the office and sign out. Sergeant Jackson will be back by then and you will need to see him to initial your detention slip." He handed Cloud the clipboard and pointed to the line where he needed to sign his name. "While you are serving detention, you are to be working on your homework or exercising – not socializing."

He watched as Cloud scribbled his name. "Because this detention slip does not specify what exercises you are to do," Private Maguire added, "I don't care if you do push-ups, sit-ups or run laps around the track. Sergeant Jackson would have a workout that he would want you to complete, but until he comes back, I am not going to assign you anything to do. When he returns, though, you should see him and ask."

_No thank you,_ Cloud was adamant, as he returned the clipboard to Private Maguire. _I'd rather not have the drill sergeant tell me I need to run eight miles around the track in ninety-minutes._

"Thank you, Private Maguire," Cloud said.

Then he remembered.

"May I have a key to one of the lockers, please?" he asked, thinking that it would be best if he locked his stuff up. With bullies like Kevin holding grudges, he would not be the least bit surprised if people who disliked him tried to make off with his books and bag or destroy his stuff. Even people like Reno, who seemed to like him, might be tempted to prank him by stealing his clothes while he was serving detention.

"Yes, of course," Private Maguire said, and he went back to the office to retrieve a lock and key.

Fifteen minutes later, Cloud stood on the springy indoor track, going through a series of warm up exercise that his old physical education instructor had taught him. Unsure of the condition that his body was in, he had decided to stretch his muscles before he did a timed 1500-meter run. As tempting as it was to plunge headfirst into the routines that he had done to keep up his conditioning after Meteorfall, common sense told him that he should not risk potentially injuring himself with workouts that might be beyond him. Injuring himself, because he was too impatient to work his way through to the more physically demanding workouts, would be detrimental with the entrance exams only a few weeks away. If he got injured now and was forced to put off his training to nurse himself back to health, he might as well kiss the entrance exams good-bye.

_I can't afford to have anything else pop up that will cut back my time,_ Cloud mused, thrusting one arm out to support his weight as he balanced himself on one leg while lifting the other leg behind his back and extending it as far as he could. _These detentions and essays are already eating into my time._

_Wow,_ he suddenly realized, _this exercise used to hurt...a lot! But it's not so bad now._

He grinned, encouraged to see that exercises that had been extremely difficult when he had actually been sixteen were coming much more easily to him now, and that his body was doing a much better job of withstanding the stress on his calves, the pressure in his joints and the pressure in his feet than it had in the past. Sit ups that had once left him winded no longer left him panting raggedly, gasping for breath, and exercises that required poise and balance, like the leg extension routine that he was doing at the moment, felt comfortable to him. Instead of hopping around like an unsteady, one-legged chocobo who has gotten into the vodka, he was impressed to find himself staying solidly in one place, with his leg pulled halfway up to his back. Timed squats and crunches were still challenging, physically and mentally wearing him out after a few minutes, but with a lot of practice, he hoped that he would soon be able to do them again without pain, and would eventually be able to keep up with Zack when they worked out together.

_One of these days I might even beat him,_ Cloud thought. _I'll definitely -_

_...Woah...._

_~*************~_

He looked up, eyes drawn to the furthest, most remote corner of the room where one of the senior SOLDIERs was practicing a complicated, advanced sword sequence by himself.

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he took in the sight of the grey clad SOLDIER bringing the heavy broadsword that he was using up to chin level and moving it slowly and lithely in a smooth vertical line. He marveled when the man elegantly changed the direction of his blade, causing it to shoot up in an even diagonal arc, and was even more impressed when with a mere turn of his wrist, the SOLDIER effortlessly changed directions again, causing the skyrocketing blade to sweep downward in a graceful curving arc.

Cloud's brows arched as the SOLDIER turned, slowly pivoting about on one foot before springing, launching himself into the air to attack a pretend opponent. He drew his breath in, fascinated by the speed and the momentum that the man got going as the brilliant fighter went into a flurry of turns, offensive slashes, and well-timed counter strikes. As the lean man launched himself forward, and twisted about in the air, positioning his sword so that it both protected him and posed a threat to his enemies, Cloud nodded appreciatively, glad that he was seeing such skill. It was truly amazing to watch such fluid, smooth and coordinated movements, and he was also highly enjoying seeing such dexterity and near flawless reaction time.

_I'll have to ask Zack about these moves,_ Cloud mused, as the swordsman practiced a very well-executed Assault Twister attack with his broadsword. _And I want to know who the hell this guy is._

He rose to his feet and hurried across the room for a closer look. He trotted to the center of the track and....

...found himself staring at...

_Genesis Rhapsodos…_

_~**********~_

Cloud dropped to the floor, acting like he was doing leg exercises as Genesis moved away from the wall and confidently strode back onto the practice mat. As Genesis swept passed him, Cloud looked up, and saw that Sephiroth's friend had gotten rid of the heavy broadsword that he had been using, swapping it out in favor of a lighter, more flexible red-bladed rapier. He glanced furtively at the blade, noticing that the tip of the sword trailed along the ground, making a fine line in the mat as it was dragged across the floor, and that the body of the sword seemed to have deep, silver runes cut into it.

_LOVELESS. I bet he has lines from LOVELESS carved into his sword._

_He has always loved that play_ , Cloud mused, _and he always has enjoyed beating it into peoples' heads. Zack was always complaining that whenever he fought Genesis, all Genesis would do was recite quotes at him and insist that it was his goal to re-enact the play. He said that it was the most awful, tedious thing he had ever heard, and he said that it was scary, because it sounded so insane. Well…he was insane then. But he's not now. At least…I don't think he is..._ he uncertainly thought.

He watched Genesis raise his sword and bring it up to chest level. He worriedly followed the man's movements, paying close attention as the SOLDIER's keen, sharp eyes ran down the length of the blade. As Genesis assumed a defensive stance, drawing his left arm back, the white flares in the high-ranking 1st's eyes seemed to well up, reminding Cloud of pockets of trapped air bubbling up in a pond on a humid, slightly misty morning. These flecks of churned up white bulged, pressing into the swirling streaks of raging blue, and for a moment it felt to Cloud as if the fragmented, scattered white light in Genesis' eyes wanted to swallow up the vibrant circles of blue or force them back.

He eyed Genesis with caution, not sure that he liked such intensity, and yet…he could see nothing in Genesis' proud, glowing eyes that would indicate that the strong, alert man moving sleekly and rhythmically in front of him had become mentally unhinged. Genesis' eyes were tempestuous and churned up, but they were also focused, lucid and…most important to Cloud, the fierce blue eyes bearing down on Rapier were devoid of negative emotions. The rage, the despair and the hopelessness that he remembered seeing the day that he and Zack had confronted Hollander in Modeohim were absent from these eyes, as was the pain, self-loathing and loneliness that he vividly remembered seeing in the eyes of the man who had confronted him on the cliff outside Kalm. In place of the negative emotions that he associated with Genesis were…were…passion, youthful recklessness…excitement…and hope.

~*********~

Cloud gazed up at the narrowed blue eyes flashing with enthusiasm and lowered his own eyes, suddenly finding it hard to look at the man and know that the commander's life was sweeping away before his very eyes. As Genesis advanced, swinging his sword, he shook his head, understanding now why Genesis had gone off the deep end when he had discovered that he was degrading. Realizing that he was dying had to have been unbearable to such a hopeful, passionate man who was madly in love with life, and who took it for granted that he would have many, many years ahead of him. It had to have been incomprehensible for such a fiery, blithe spirit to have the hopes and dreams that he had constructed around himself shattered by a harsh, curtly worded doctor's diagnosis, and infinitely painful for him as he found himself frantically clinging to what little time he had left.

Given how rapidly the aging had occurred once it had made itself known, Cloud could well imagine how Genesis must have felt, wondering at times if perhaps he had only mere minutes left to live. How frightened and terrifying it must have been to go to bed each night, certain that Hollander and Angeal would find him without breath in his body, without beat in his heart.

Thinking about how badly the degradation process had crippled Genesis was also difficult for Cloud. It was painful to look up and think of the glowing, agile and lithe young man circling about the mats as the grey-skinned, white-haired mummy who had staggered around Modeohim spewing hateful, poisonous words all over the place and it was even harder to place himself in Genesis' shoes and imagine the emotional and psychological hell that the man had been through.

Although he himself had been through hell, it was still difficult to comprehend how depressed and disillusioned Genesis must have become finding himself too sick and weary to perform the skills that he had perfected over the years – too weak to suddenly do basic things that he had done all his life. He visualized the red haired SOLDIER leaning onto the arms of clones, struggling to get up; taking forced, staggering steps; and dropping his sword, and his heart went out to the distant man.

~**************~

_You must have felt useless and helpless going through what you went through,_ Cloud empathized.

_I know what it feels like, because I've been down a similar road too, but...unlike you,_ _I dealt with it in a different way._

_~*********~_

Cloud clenched his fist determinedly. _I will save you, Sephiroth, and Angeal,_ he promised the 1st.

_But in order to do so, I am going to have to get to know you and..._

_I wish I knew how to do that._

_I suppose that I could go over there, introduce myself and ask you about your incredible moves, but I don't think that you would react well to that. I get the impression that you don't like students very much and you would probably think that I was fanboying on you if I went over and asked you questions._

_Plus, our personalities are complete opposites,_ he thought, now recognizing Genesis as the man who had been sitting at the tables earlier in the day. _Like Zack said, we would not get along,_ he told himself, as Genesis realized that he was staring at him and turned around to confront him.

~***************~

Cloud sighed as Genesis folded his arms and icily said, "Are you Strife? SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack's friend?"

He turned slowly around, uncertain how this encounter was going to play out. He had never spoken one on one to Genesis when he had been a cadet and the Genesis whom he had confronted on the cliffs had been suspicious, sad, and mistrusting. He hoped that the commander standing before him would not be as hostile as the Genesis from Kalm, but he doubted that luck would be on his side. Zack's memories had shown him that Genesis had gone off on cadets he assumed were trying to manipulate him and the commander had said some shocking, downright nasty things, such as the comment he had made about a cadet asking him for help and trying to get him to drink from the fountain of youth.

"Yes, I am Cadet Strife, sir," he said confidently, meeting the fierce blue eyes that homed in on him, inspecting him. He held his hand up, saluting Genesis, even though the man was dressed in civilian clothes and was most likely off duty at the moment. "How may I help you, Commander Rhapsod…"

"Rhapsodos," Genesis cut him off, not even giving Cloud a chance to finish saying his name. "Get the name right – that's the first thing that you can do for me."

These sharp words caused Cloud's eyes to widen in surprise. He knew that Genesis could be extremely unpleasant, but he had not expected the first few words out of the commander's mouth to be so abrasive. He stiffened, not happy that Genesis was treating him like an ignorant child who was too silly to get someone's name right, but he kept his stare level, continuing to look into arrogant, cocky blue eyes. He did not back down, as Genesis drew close, towered over him and gave him a domineering, cold glare.

"Thank you for helping me. I was not sure how to pronounce your name, sir," Cloud said, keeping his voice neutral. He nodded his head respectfully at the commander, filtering out the holier-than-thou tone of voice. If he was to work side by side with the man, it would be best, he decided, if he let the condescending words and the bad attitude bounce right off him or he would never be able to deal with the man.

_It shouldn't be too hard to do,_ Cloud decided, as Genesis circled around him. _I've done it before with people who are haughty, in your face and flat out rude. It worked with Cid Highwind and I hope that it works here._

_~*************~_

Genesis stiffened as Cloud responded politely to him.

He tensed, not sure what to make of the boy. Most cadets would have been humbled to be spoken to in such an abrasive manner, but this one was carrying himself very maturely and had an air of confidence about him that was unusual in one so young. Such confidence he expected from a strong, experienced man who was sure of himself and sure of his ability to read other people, not a scrawny, average looking child he had assumed would be jittery, socially awkward and very self-conscious. Usually such children wobbled before him, faltering under his gaze, and yet here was Cloud Strife, looking at him directly in the eye and acting unemotional and unaffected when he used condescending words to speak to him.

He blinked as Cloud continued to meet his eyes, never once wavering. And as Cloud stood before him, waiting expectantly for a reply, the commander found himself thinking of the boy's 2nd Class friend, and all those encounters that he had had with him.

_You seem more mature than your companion,_ Genesis dryly thought _._

~*************~

Genesis turned back to Cloud. His tone of voice remained cold as he said, "The second thing that you can do is stop spamming message boards, forums and staff mailing lists with your e-mail address – CLDSTRF at randomstudentaccount dot com." He watched Cloud closely, eager to see if his clipped words would cause the boy to back down. There was nothing that he would enjoy more than re-establishing his authority over the new cadet. "It was very annoying to check my e-mail and find the same e-mail in my inbox…" He held up three fingers for emphasis. "…this many times! I didn't like that, but…" He reached up, untied his bandanna and let his tousled hair fall out. "Your e-mail did make me realize one thing."

"Yes, sir?"

The warrior pulled back the hair around his ear. "You made me realize that I had lost this when I was in the Slums," the commander said, pointing to the long ear clip that he had concealed beneath his bandanna. "This is a prototype version of the earring that I lost. The one that you found was one I had custom made from a jeweler. I would like to have it back and would appreciate if you retrieve it from your dorm for me while I am here. Go get it."

Cloud drew in his breath. Nothing that Genesis had said so far could have surprised him more.

"Well?" Genesis curtly asked, sensing the boy's discomfort. "You are CLDSTRF, are you not? I did a search through the student directory to find out who had my earring, because the e-mail that I received just contained a return e-mail address and not the name of the person I should contact, and your name turned up as belonging to that e-mail address. Have I made a mistake?"

Cloud stared at the earring dangling from Genesis' left ear. It was the _exact_ same earring as the one from the Slums, minus the diamonds and the expensive silver bits. _Aeris,_ he breathlessly wondered, as Genesis stared him down, _did you give this earring to me intentionally, knowing that it belonged to him, or did you not know? Could it be that this was planned by the Planet?_ Whichever of the two it was, he was not going to question this coincidental twist of fate.

"Maybe you want a reward for your time and effort," Genesis mused, becoming irritated that the blond cadet was not acknowledging the order. Perhaps he had been mistaken about the level of maturity that Cloud Strife had shown and the boy before him was a selfish teenager who expected to be compensated for finding his earring. "What do you say to fifty gil? Would that be an acceptable amount? If it's not enough, I'm willing to make it one hundred gil. Do you prefer one hundred gil?"

_No,_ Cloud made up his mind, as Genesis reached into his sweat pants to get out his wallet, _I don't want a reward. I was given the earring to return it to you, not to profit from you_.

He shook his head. "I don't want your money," he firmly said, closing Genesis' fingers around the outstretched money and politely pushing the taller man's hand away. "I don't want a reward for doing the right thing and I want to return your earring to you. I just…"

"Yes?"

Cloud glanced at his sports watch, noting that he had nearly sixty-five minutes of detention left to serve. "I can't leave the area. I can go check and see if I put your earring in my backpack in the locker room, but if it's in my dorm, I'll have to get it for you later. I'm certain that it's in my dorm and…" He did not enjoy admitting this, but honesty was the best policy with someone like Genesis who had been cruelly used and lied to. "I'm being punished right now, sir," he said. "I was assigned to serve detention and I'm supposed to stay in here until my time is up. I was assigned a ninety-minute detention for today."

_Oh I see,_ Genesis was most unhappy. He put away his wallet.

It appeared that the boy was mature in many ways, but quite immature in others.

"What did you do?" the commander asked, curious as to what kind of trouble someone who seemed so mature could have gotten into. _"Tell me."_

_Great,_ Cloud rolled his eyes, less than enthusiastic that Genesis was asking him these questions, _He wants to know why I got detention…_.

"I behaved unprofessionally," he matter-of-factly said. "I made some mistakes, like visiting SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack during his office hours and Zack's superior officer found out. It was poor judgment on my part and – I'm not going to repeat those mistakes again and I'm going to take accountability for my mistakes. I'm going to be more professional from now and not do things like visit people during their work hours, sir."

_Ah_. Genesis was unimpressed and unconcerned.

So…Cadet Strife had run afoul of Angeal. Well, the boy had nothing to worry about. He outranked Angeal and if he gave the order to go fetch his earring, his order took precedence over any order Angeal had given Cloud to serve detention.

"I think," Genesis confidently said, "that you have nothing to worry about. Go and check your dorm and then return to me…if anyone gives you any hassle, tell them that you are under instructions from me, and that will end the matter right there." He sheathed Rapier at his side, suddenly finding it very annoying to hold. "No one will second guess what I say, Cadet Strife," he said, seeing the uncertainty and doubt in Cloud's eyes. "I am very powerful and influential around here. I am the general's second in command. You truly have nothing to worry about." He paused, wondering why Cloud was still hesitating. "People will understand – even First Sergeant Hewley. Do not be concerned about him – if there are problems, I will speak to him."

"Umm....it wasn't First Sergeant Hewley who assigned me detention," Cloud said. "It was General Sephiroth. Zack took me upstairs with him to the general's office when he went to fill out paperwork and General Sephiroth felt that it was inappropriate that I accompanied Zack and so I got detention. I want to return your earring to you, but…"

"You do not want to generate conflict between myself and General Sephiroth," Genesis finished for him, understanding now why Cloud hesitated to carry out his order. "So I see."

The commander shrugged exasperatedly, but he was shrugging at the situation and not at Cloud. Having to wait to get his earring back pissed him off, not Cloud's dilemma – the boy's consideration for preventing conflict between himself and Sephiroth struck him as mature and professional.

"Since it was the general who assigned you detention," Genesis said, "it would be better to wait then. After you get out of detention, when would you be available to return my earring to me? I have two hours before I get off work for the day. Will you be available to see me in between then or do you have somewhere that you need to be?" He smirked as Cloud stared at his clothes, realizing that the boy thought that just because he was wearing a warm up suit and working out in the gym, he had the day off. "No," he said, sweeping his hair up and tying it back up in the bandanna, "I'm not off duty. I'm between appointments. You will see me back in uniform if you bring me my earring after you are done serving your detention. I'll be in Simulation Room 50 practicing some attacks that my doctor feels have great potential."

At the mention of _doctor_ and _attacks,_ Cloud stiffened. Anything that Hollander was encouraging Genesis to "practice" could not be good.

"I can come by then," he said, and then cautiously asked, "What attacks?"

The high-ranking officer put back on his gray sports jacket and zipped it up. "Magic Defense, Dark Energy and Black Flurry," he said, recalling how impressed Hollander had been when he had demonstrated that he could control sizzling spheres of energy and cause black, razor sharp feathers to shoot out from his hands when he opened them. "When you come by to drop my earring off, you may see them."

The commander started to head back to the practice mat, but halted in his tracks, remembering something. "Press the buzzer to let me know that you are there and I will stop what I am doing and let you in," he cautioned. "It is _very important_ that you do not just walk in when I am using dangerous attacks and materia. I use Ultima to clean out the room when the digital infantrymen corner me and Black Flurry is an area effect attack. You don't want…" He grit his teeth as it dawned on him that Cloud was asking him questions about what he did and that he was answering them. Was the boy trying to trick him into giving out advice?

"I'll be there, sir," Cloud said, not liking the moves that Genesis had described or the fact that the commander had access to the devastating Ultima materia and that the man was using it so casually against a simulation. "I'll need to shower and change my clothes, and that should take about twenty minutes…then I'll come upstairs."

Genesis smiled and his tone of voice suddenly became very soft and inviting. "Is there anything that you would like to know about materia or my attacks, Cadet Strife?" he offered, determined to put the boy to the test. "I need to cool down after my work out and have some time now to answer a few questions. Perhaps…" He held up a fiery red materia orb. "You would like to know how to use a Summon? I could tell you about how I fight alongside Bahamut." He paused, waiting for Cloud to follow up with a question. When the boy did not ask him about the Summoned creature he was holding in his hand, Genesis tried a different tactic. Perhaps the boy was not interested in Summons. "Maybe we could talk about Hell Firaga," he conversationally suggested, "and talk about how it can be used to completely immobilize an opponent. I've used it in the past before, sparring against Sephiroth, and it is very effective. If you time it right, you can get off six Hell Firaga fireballs. It is very hard to block six."

Strife shook his head, seeing through the other man. As interesting as it would be to listen to Genesis talk about materia, staying to hear the discussion would be detrimental to his cause, as it would reinforce the suspicious red headed officer's mistrust of cadets. It was imperative to show Genesis that people were good and trustworthy and he was not going to establish trust by letting the situation play out.

"Thank you, Commander Rhapsodos," he said, "for offering to tell me about materia, but…I really don't feel right about taking up your time like this. I wouldn't feel right getting into a long discussion when these are your work hours and…it was unprofessional of me to walk in on Zack during his work hours and I don't want to repeat my mistake. Thank you though." He pulled back, moving a few feet away from the commander.

Sephiroth's second stared at Cloud, perplexed. Any other student, _but this one,_ would have been leaping at the opportunity to receive advice from him, and who wouldn't want to know what attacks were effective against Sephiroth?

"Are you sure?" he smoothly asked. "If you won't accept a cash award, at least let me answer your questions and tell you about materia? I would not feel right about your unselfish actions going unrewarded. It would be no problem at all for me to take fifteen minutes to explain a few things."

"Really, I'm sure," Cloud called over his shoulder, as he started to retreat. "I meant it when I said that I didn't want anything in return for finding the earring. I just want to return it to you – is all. I'll see you in about an hour, sir, and I'll have the earring with me."

"Okay." Genesis replied.

He watched as Cloud turned his back to him and started heading for the far wall and the railing. He stood there for three minutes, wondering about this strange, unselfish, mature boy. He was not yet sure what to make of Cloud, but he knew that after what he had seen, he did not dislike him.


	9. The Fire of the Fury

**Chapter Nine - The Fire of the Fury**

_Midgar - εуλ 0000_

Genesis Rhapsodos crouched on the observatory platform in the VR training room –arms buckling, legs shaking, and chest heaving as he gasped for breath. Seventy-five minutes had passed since he and Cloud had parted ways, and over fifty minutes of the time that had elapsed since then had been spent running around in circles, avoiding evil Cactuars and trying to hit them with materia and the new attacks that had impressed Hollander. The rest of the time had been spent recovering on the platform, watching grimly as the little monsters threw themselves around the room, hoping that they would eventually jump high enough to hit him with their needles and knock him down to the floor so that they could finish him.

Sephiroth's second-in-command scowled as he removed from Rapier the materia that he had been using. This marked the _fourth time_ that he had had to retreat up here to swap out the materia in his sword. And none of the materia that he had equipped so far had been particularly effective against the Cactuars.

_The Cactuars are very tough,_ he thought, as gasped for breath, _so going with a full lineup of elemental materia is out. I think, however, I might have a shot if I went with one of the Hell materias. If I were to go with something like Hell Firaga...and managed to paralyze a monster with it...I would have one less Cactuar trying to swarm me...and it would give me a window of opportunity to use my other materia._

_Now...for the other materia..._

Ultima and Flare were instantly set to the side, because it took forever to cast them, and with three Cactuars relentlessly getting up in his face, he did not have time to stand there for eight seconds waiting for the materia to charge up. Costly Punch, however, stayed in his lineup.

_Costly Punch will be good if I can get a chance to use it,_ Genesis mused, _and area effect materia that does splash damage will also be powerful. I will want to use something like -_ his eyes fell on a Graviga materia that he never used - _this perhaps._

_If I can bunch them all up and hit them with Graviga when it is floating over the fighting ring, they will get an eye-opener, and I don't think that I can go wrong with the High Jump materia Angeal gave me, because it will put me out of reach, and give me the breathing room I need to unleash hell on them._

Genesis smiled wickedly. _I think I've figured it out – I know now what I must do._

And with that smug thought in mind, he rose and slowly walked to the end of the observatory platform. He unlatched the guard rail, sliding it aside and stood tauntingly at the edge with his sword sheathed at his side and his arms outstretched.

"Hello, my little green friends," he cooed, waving at the Cactuars in a very infuriating way, "how are you doing?"

Genesis looked down, watching as the plants hissed, gathered under the platform, looked up at him and furiously waved their stems at him.

"We have spent so much time with each other," he melodramatically sighed, "that your presence is starting to bore me and I am thinking that it would be best if we finished this. Wouldn't you agree?" He wrapped his right arm behind his back and summoned a Firaga fireball into existence. "I think," he said, as the fireball became bigger and brighter, "that you will look very good on the compost heap."

The commander tensed aching leg muscles as he prepared to launch himself into the air. "Ready to die? On your knees, it's time to acknowledge a hero!" And with that, he sprang into the air, soaring high above their heads.

"There he goes! Kill him!" the digital Cactuars robotically peeped.

"Die," Genesis snarled in response, as he released the fireball and sent it raining down on them to scatter them. "That is no way to talk to a hero." He clenched his fist, bringing it up to his chest, while airborne, as he willed the fireball to spread out, engulfing the area. "I think what you need is a lesson in respect. Let's see how you enjoy being roasted by Hell Firaga – feel the burn."

The warrior sneered, listening to them shriek and race away to avoid being inflicted with status ailments from the powerful materia, and then he dropped from the sky and came crash landing down hard on the spot where they had been standing.

"And now," he growled, as they whirled around, saw that he was among them, and prepared to blast him with stinging needles, "learn how to be faster on your feet! "

Genesis thrust his left arm above his head and kicked off the ground, using the High Jump materia to rocket skywards towards the steel construction beams projecting from the ceiling. "You are way too slow," he said, as his fingers closed around one of the beams and he hung there, suspended more than twelve feet above their heads. "Do better next time if you want to catch me."

The swordsman bit down hard, gnashing his teeth together as he dangled painfully from the beam by his left hand. It would have been far less excruciating for him if he could have supported himself with both arms, but he needed one of his hands free to work with the materia.

_The longest I've ever been able to support the weight of my body when I've been hanging from one arm is two minutes,_ Genesis cringed, _and that was when I was fresh and not so tired. With channeling materia, I'm going to tire myself quickly, so I'll probably have less than my normal two minutes' time up here. I need to work fast if I am to pull this off._

Genesis extended his free right hand, letting it hover over the Cactuars. He concentrated, using his great strength of will to fight through the immense physical pain that shot through his body as he began to move his glowing free hand around in circles to bring a sphere of dark energy into existence.

He looked down, pointing at the Cactuars screaming for his blood, and as he did, the sphere of energy swelled up and ballooned out, becoming a thick cancerous blob of crackling black and purple fire. It spread out to the sides, elongating so that within a few seconds it was a good four feet wide.

"That's one," he whispered, through clenched teeth. "And here's another – and another!" he strained, clawing desperately at the beam. "Gravigas for all three of you because you have caused me no end of trouble this afternoon. And now...! Hell Firaga," he whispered, "for you all."

The Cactuars had very little time to react.

Genesis' gloved fingers flew open and as they did, three sizzling fireballs barreled out of the commander's hand and barreled towards the ground. The Cactuars' big black eyes widened as the burning white light bore down on them, fanning out to engulf them, but the three digital monsters were quick on their feet and they leaped back before it could consume them, shrieking loudly.

"Nice reflexes," Genesis growled, quickly closing his fingers again and summoning another fireball. "Let's see how fast you are."

His hand quickly opened again and three more Firaga fireballs once again came hurtling their way.

"Take that," he hissed, "and that – and that – and that – and that! And while you're dodging my Firaga —" Genesis made a fist, brought his hand up to his eyes, concentrated, then thrust his free arm to the left, and then smashed it downward. "Try a little Black Flurry. It's not so much fun now, is it?"

The commander watched as ten eighteen-inch long black feathers materialized in the air around his hand, locked onto the shrieking Cactuars and then torpedoed downwards to dive bomb them. As the sharpened feathers struck the floor, Genesis raised his hand to repeat the move, and twelve seconds later an additional fifteen feathers were raining down on the Cactuars.

"Oh, and don't forget the Dark Energy," Genesis murmured. "And now that you are senselessly running around trying to avoid my fireballs and feathers of fun and not focusing on me, I have a surprise for you," he snarled, free hand fumbling for his Rapier. "This is how –" he gasped, finding it excruciating to unsheathe his sword while he continued to hang from the steel beam, "– a hero demonstrates why they are a hero."

_Got it!_ Genesis sneered as his fingers closed around the now freed sword.

"I'm coming for you," he whispered, and gave the command that caused the runes on his blade to blaze with pale red fire.

He dropped from the ceiling, plummeting down onto the floor. His left ankle buckled as he slammed onto the tiles, but he ignored the pain, and dashed forward with his sword lowered and his hands held up to block the spray of needles that came shooting his way.

"Close, but not good enough," the commander said mockingly, as a low sweep from his sword caught one of the Cactuars and flung it into the air. "Here's some Costly Punch," he hissed, sending the Cactuar he had swept up barreling into a blob of Graviga, "and some Hell Firaga to follow....damn."

He growled as the buzzer rang, signifying that someone, most likely Cloud Strife with his earring, wanted in.

_I'm too close to winning this,_ he thought, _to stop what I am doing now_.

"Come up to the glass observatory window, Cadet," the warrior shouted. "But do not come out onto the observatory platform. There's too much stuff flying around in here at the moment," he cautioned, as he flipped his blade, driving it through the heart of a Cactuar whom he had trapped under his foot. "And you'll get yourself hurt."

"Great….got one," Genesis laughed, seeing one of the big black feathers impale and kill another Cactuar out of the corner of his eye. "Two down and one to go — if I play my cards right, I can finish this – I know I can."

The swordsman leaped, throwing his feet up over his head as he did a backwards handspring.

"You'll pay for killing my friends," the remaining Cactuar idiotically squeaked.

"Shut up," Genesis growled, as he landed, then instantly High Jumped into the air to avoid the spray of needles that were headed his way, "I am getting a headache listening to you. It's worse than listening to Angeal moan about the lack of respect kids have for their parents these days."

The Cactuar, however, would not listen, so Genesis grabbed onto a different beam than the one he had held onto earlier. He swung precariously, too exhausted to make much of an effort to hold on, and scowled at the wrathful plant, whom was still fresh and energized despite the last five minutes that it had spent avoiding the fireball and feather storm.

"Damn." Genesis sighed, and yet he kept going, for he knew that if he managed to kill this monster it would be very sweet and he would have extreme bragging rights that night when he went out to dinner with his friends.

Especially since Sephiroth had yet to complete this simulation.

_Impressive, very impressive,_ Cloud Strife marveled, as he peered down from the observatory window, watching Genesis run to a corner, spin around to face his opponent, raise his hand and cause four glowing red phantasmal swords to materialize about him.

_He is good,_ Cloud marveled. _Very good. His sword work is near flawless, he's quick and fast on his feet, and he is a master-materia specialist. I don't think I've ever seen anyone use materia quite so well or creatively. Zack was not exaggerating when he said that Genesis was right up there in skill with Sephiroth._

"Wow, was that a direct hit?" Cloud whispered out loud, as Genesis took a Thousand Needle Spray to the face, threw down his sword and brought up both his hands to block a second round of stinging nettles. "Sure was," he realized, knowing how much it stung to get sprayed in the arms and legs by one of those things. "I can only imagine how much it hurts to take a hit like that in the mouth."

He moved over to the control box and flipped a switch, activating a microphone that ran between the two rooms.

"Are you okay, sir?" he asked with concern, and as he turned the microphone on, he felt like smacking himself. "I'm sorry," he hastily added, hoping that the commander would not be too upset that he had touched the controls without asking for permission first. "But that looked like it hurt and I want to make sure that you are okay."

"Oh, I'm not okay. I'm doing about as good as the time First Sergeant asked me to fill in for his _Dreams, Discipline and Honor_ class," Genesis grunted in response. "But I'm hanging in there," he hissed. "And have a lot of fight left in me still," he growled as flipped onto his feet and whirled around, blasting the Cactuar with three fireballs, and then hit it hard with Black Flurry. "The problem is—"

"The problem is you can hurt them badly," Cloud said quietly to himself, "but they have fierce regen with their Osmoga attacks. You need to be able to dish out enough damage to overcome the regen, but it can be hard to get enough damage in, because they swarm you."

_Shit!_ Cloud's hands fluttered up to his mouth as he realized what he had just said. He pulled back from the microphone, hoping that Genesis had not heard him, because he really did not want to have to explain how he knew how to fight a monster that could give even the most experienced SOLDIER 1sts the workout of their lives.

But Genesis had heard him.

"Well put," Genesis softly murmured, "that's exactly the problem, but..."

He breathed a sigh of immense relief as a fireball collided with the Cactuar and knocked one charred, steaming plant onto the ground. "

"I don't think," he guardedly said, "that there is a problem now."

He looked up at the observatory window, hoping to catch a glimpse of Cloud Strife through the glass.

"You can come onto the observatory platform now, Cadet Strife," he called up to the window in a commanding tone of voice. "I think that it is safe for you to come in now. There are no longer any area effect spells going off or projectiles flying around."

"Congratulations, sir," Cloud said, returning to the window and peeking out.

He gazed down, taking in the sight of burned and lifeless-looking Cactuar, steaming piles of charcoaled fireballs and healthy looking black feathers lying all over the floor.

"You killed it?" he unhappily asked.

"Yes, I paralyzed it," Genesis corrected, elegantly stepping over the moaning Cactuar. "It is immobilized with Hell Firaga and it can't attack or fire off needles now," he said.

Cloud watched uneasily as he raised his sword over the defeated Cactuar, preparing to bring it down.

"The downside of Hell Firaga, though," he continued, as he savored his victory, "is that you can't depend on it to reliably paralyze your opponents. It's great to use, but don't depend on it to save you – always have a backup plan."

"I see, sir," Cloud said, emerging from the observatory room to stand on the platform. "And your backup plan was...?"

He trailed off, even more disturbed by the mess on the floor now that he could see it up close.

"Wall, Magic Defense and area effect materia and spells," Genesis said, driving his blade into the Cactuar's heart. "Wall mitigates physical damage, Magic Defense spell damage, and area effects hit everything in the room. The key to defeating this simulation was bombarding them with Hell Firaga, Black Flurry and Graviga and getting far enough away from them so I had time to get the attacks off. The beam served my purpose, however..."

Genesis swore under his breath as he massaged his throbbing left wrist with his right fingers. "Check and see if my hand grips are in the bag up on the platform," he ordered. "I'm not hanging from that beam again without hand grips on."

"Couldn't you have stood on the platform and fired materia at them?" Cloud wondered. "Wouldn't that have been less painful than trying to swarm them with materia from the beam?"

"No, I couldn't have," Genesis sharply replied. "The rules for the simulation are that you can use the platform if you need a break, but you cannot launch attacks from the platform. If you try to attack from the platform, it counts as a loss and you automatically fail…hence why I attacked from the beam. Now...."

"Dowel grips?" Cloud quickly asked. He held up a thick leather strap containing three finger holes. "Are these the grips you want, sir, or do you want the cloth ones that are also in here? Do you also want me to bring the Velcro and tape down with me also, or do you just want me to bring…"

_So much for going down,_ Cloud sighed to himelf as Genesis leaped up onto the platform, and settled down beside him.

"I prefer the dowel grips," Genesis coolly said. "They are sturdier than the cloth grips, but aren't very comfortable," he added, as he slid his fingers through the holes, smoothed down the leather straps and quickly fastened the wrist strap that attached to the grips. "But they should do the trick next time I do this simulation…if I do this simulation again. It's a nice little challenge, but it's very time consuming and I don't always have the time to work out this long. Today was unusual, not a normal day around the workplace."

_No,_ he shuddered, _today has definitely not been a normal day. It's been a rough day,_ he flinched, recalling how he had spent the morning with Hollander, and sat there in the back room listening to the sound of his doctor coughing up his lungs.

_I've had better days,_ he sighed, as he stared across the room, not wanting to recall the raspy, hoarse voice; the intermittent choking; the chronic wheezing and Hollander calling out to him for assistance when he sat down and found that he was too winded to get up. And as he leaned forward, pressing his arms against the railing of the observatory platform, he tried to think about happier things, such as the white light pouring down from the ceiling, spilling out across his face; the cool air billowing out from the humming air conditioner vents; the red runes in his sword gleaming hungrily, thirsting for another battle; and the strands of soft, downy blond hair blowing about beside him. He did not take well at all to thinking about death and disease.

"What did you think about the simulation?" Genesis asked, hoping that small talk would keep him from thinking about the small crippled frame who had hobbled out to give him his injections. "I know that you did not see the whole thing, but was there anything that stood out to you from what you saw?"

Cloud tensed at this question and wondered if Genesis was trying to trick him again and put him to the test the way he had in the gym. He hoped not, because he had not enjoyed being put to the test then and he wasn't any more receptive to the challenge now.

"I have something for you, sir," he stammered, praying that the silver earpiece that he had retrieved from his dorm would distract Genesis. "I brought you your earring – and it is very nice. Good craftsmanship and really amazing details. The person who made the earring is very skilled."

Genesis turned around and held out his hand. "I had it commissioned from Thomson and Thompson," he said, "and I had them make it according to a custom drawing that I sent them. They are very talented master craftsmen and their work always looks stunning."

_Especially when I'm modeling it._

The commander reached into his duffel bag for a small hand held mirror. He brought up the mirror, holding it in one hand, while he used the other to clip on the ear piece that he had thought he had lost forever. As he pushed aside strands of red hair that were tippling into his face and spilling over his ears, he frowned, noticing that one of the strands had started to turn white. He sighed, annoyed that he was only twenty-five but that his hair was starting to show signs of age already.

_I hope I am not turning prematurely grey,_ he sighed. _I do not want to look like an old man by the time I am forty. Grey is not my color._

Genesis rolled his eyes and put the handheld mirror away. "Thank you for returning my earring, Cadet Strife," he said. "I appreciate it. I thought for sure that I would have to commission another one and those can be very…"

He trailed off, noticing that Cloud was gazing thoughtfully at the ash and feathers all over the training room floor, and that the strong, confident boy seemed somewhat _unnerved_ by it all. Why a pile of charred ash should unsettle Cloud so much, he had no idea – perhaps, he rationalized, this was the first time that the cadet had ever seen a high level SOLDIER 1st in action and seen the power of their attacks.

_Or maybe he is thinking,_ Genesis thought, _about what he would have done if it had been him fighting mobs on the floor and coming up with a plan. I know what that is like, because I spend a lot of time strategizing and planning out what I will do before I go in and fight monsters._

"If you had been fighting the Cactuar," Genesis asked, "what would you have done? You said something very interesting about it being difficult to beat their regen, because they use Osmoga, and you have me wondering."

Cloud instantly stiffened, as he realized that Genesis had overheard him.

_Great,_ he winced, _he overheard me._ His mind thought quickly, trying to come up with the perfect excuse to explain his apparent inside knowledge if Genesis asked him how he knew so information.

But Genesis did not ask him how he knew such details, because he felt no need to ask. It was obvious to the commander that the boy was way ahead of his peers in terms of what he knew, and such knowledge had most likely been obtained through hard study and a lot of work. It would not surprise him in the least if this quiet, mature boy was a serious, dedicated student who was eating up everything that he could learn so that…

Wait! Could it be that Cloud Strife was preparing for the entrance exams and that the boy's goal was to get into SOLDIER?

Genesis eyeballed Cloud, wondering how far off his guess was that the blond haired cadet was preparing for the entrance exams. The boy was not the type of person he would expect to want to apply for SOLDIER, due to the physical handicaps such a short, skinny and weak looking child would have to overcome, but then he himself had not exactly conformed to the standard SOLDIER model. With his lack of strength, awkwardly constructed frame, and inability to take a lot of physical damage relative to the other 1sts, he himself was a far cry from the ideal type of person that Shinra tried to recruit.

"Would you have done what I did and used materia," Genesis asked, trying to break the silence that had fallen between them, "or would you have tried to fight them head on?"

"With materia," Cloud guardedly said, as he gave in and replied to the question.

_Good call,_ Genesis was relieved to hear that. _When people are built the way that you are, you can't afford to take the hits in an all out slugfest with them, and you do not have the strength to run around with a heavy sword the way the more muscular SOLDIERs do. You need to rely on materia and use your speed to your advantage._

"What materia would you use?" he asked. "Suppose you could use up to six slots."

The boy looked away from the commander. Just what was Genesis trying to figure out with all these questions?

"It would depend on how many Cactuars there were," Cloud said, in a calm, even tone. "If I was fighting three mobs and knew I was going to be taking a lot of damage, I would have a cure materia loaded, maybe Curaga. Wall up to minimize damage, and some kind of Magic Barrier materia and that would hopefully mitigate the damage that they're doing with their quills. It would be a rough fight without Wall or Magic Barrier." He paused, carefully considering how to word the rest of his response. "And for the last three slots, I would use Hell Thundaga, Gil Toss and Tri-Fire," he said.

He shot a glance over his shoulder and saw that Genesis' brows were furrowed and the commander was staring at him suspiciously – not good.

"Zack told me about Gil Toss and Tri-Fire," Cloud hastily added, realizing that as a cadet, perhaps he was not supposed to know about those two types of materia.

At the mention of the Puppy, Genesis snorted dismissively. "You have decent defensive choices," he said, "but I would go to someone else for advice on offensive materia. Your choices of offensive materia are highly questionable. They are _epic fail."_

Ah, _typical Genesis bluntness_.

Cloud was not the least bit surprised that he had gotten the hot-headed 1st all worked up with his answer. Zack had warned him that the commander was highly critical of anyone's battle tactics except for his own, and materia was the subject that Genesis was most passionate about. Suggest that materia be used in a way other than a way that Genesis would use it himself, and you could just about guarantee that you would put the man into a tizzy.

The commander continued ranting. "Tri-Fire is less effective than Hell Firaga, because it consumes more energy to use, does not home in on multiple targets and cannot paralyze opponents! Hell Thundaga is not worth equipping against three Cactuars, because it can only be fired in directional bursts, and I don't know why you would choose Gil Toss over a high damage, highly effective materia like Costly Punch. With that offensive lineup, you would not last fifteen minutes against those Cactuars. Perhaps you could explain why Zackary thinks those three materia are so wonderful – he needs to rethink the recommendations he has made. He is illogical."

Cloud bristled. Zack had _not_ recommended that he use those three materia against the Cactuars and it was highly irritating to see Genesis twist what he had said and turn it around to make his friend sound so inexperienced and foolish. He had been hesitant to explain his choices to the commander, concerned that they would reveal too much of his own experience, but now he could care less if he did or not when Zack was being put down.

"Zack mentioned the materia to me in passing," Cloud firmly said, eyes narrowing, "but I was the one who just now considered using them for this simulation. Zack did not give me any input on which materia to use and we have never discussed fighting Cactuars before. Until I came up here to return your earring to you, sir, I did not even know that there was a Cactuar simulation. Those ideas were my own."

"I see," Genesis coldly replied, cobalt blue eyes flashing with annoyance as the quiet kid looked sharply at him, determined not to let him get away with smearing Zack's character. "Okay, Cadet Strife, perhaps you can explain your choices to me. Why would you use Hell Thundaga, Gil Toss and Tri-Fire?"

"Because of who I am," Cloud simply said.

_I beg your pardon?_

"Because of my height – my size – my speed – my strength, sir," Cloud confidently continued. "The lineup that you use is effective, but it wouldn't work well for me. I like the idea of using Gil Toss, for example, because if I was to use the Costly Punch materia that you use, I would have to eat the recoil from the attack, and I would cause damage to myself and I am also not as fast as you are. You can run around, get ahead of them, turn and cast Hell Firaga, but I wouldn't be able to do it as well as you do due to my size and short legs, and by the time I stopped to cast Hell Firaga, they would be on me. Hell Thundaga may not be as good as Hell Firaga, but it's far faster, and it can also inflict paralysis. That is why I would use Gil Toss and Hell Thundaga over Costly Punch and Hell Firaga….and as for Tri-Fire, it's fast, hits hard and is hard to mitigate. It would hurt them badly and it would take awhile for them to regen the damage that it inflicted. If I had more time to think about this, I am sure I could come up with something better."

_For something that you thought up within a few seconds,_ Genesis thought, as his features eased and he relaxed, _it was very well-thought out. Many cadets do not take into consideration which materia is appropriate for their size, speed and height._

"What about using Summons?" Genesis asked, deciding that he would further put the boy's knowledge to the test. "A Summon could clear out the room very fast. Would you approve of using a Summoned creature?"

Cloud shook his head. "I don't believe that Summons should be used to beat simulations," he said, "and I think that it is risky to let them out, even in battle. They can turn the tide of the fight, but someone usually ends up getting killed and the Summons always end up destroying things, and not everyone has the willpower to control a Summoned creature once they let a Summon out. If you release a Summon, can't control it, and can't call it back….no, I would not use a Summon, _not_ unless I had no other choice."

Genesis bobbed his head curtly– he agreed that Summons could be devastating and they should not be used unless it was absolutely necessary. It was good to see that Cloud shared his attitude about Summons and they were both on the same page.

"I have three Summons," he said, motioning to three crimson colored materia spheres he kept secured to his leather waist belt, "but I never let them out, even though…" His lips turned up in a sneer as he thought of all the cadets and the uprising SOLDIERs who had begged him to show them his Summons, because they were _"too cool."_ "

"Let's just say not everyone has as responsible an attitude about Summons as you do," he said, deciding that he was not in the mood to trash Cloud's over-eager classmates at the moment. "It would be irresponsible of me to let Shiva, Ifrit and Bahamut out, just because people want to see them. At one point —" He gestured to an empty materia container. "—I had a fourth summon, but I gave it to General Sephiroth, because he is always at the front of the battle, takes a lot of damage and gets some very ugly wounds. He now has my Phoenix and do you know what it casts when it is released?"

"Rebirth Flame," Cloud softly said, finding it more than a little ironic that a Summon who cleanses and purifies people with its healing touch should be given to _the man who needs it the most._

_Yes,_ Genesis nodded, _that is the name of the attack. Rebirth Flame. You truly have been keeping up with your work and studying hard. Knowledge such as yours is…wait…why am I hoping you succeed and why am I talking to you this way?_

The commander stared at the steep metallic walls, as it dawned on him that he was being more tolerant with Cloud than he had been with any other student. He folded his arms, irritated that he had not done his usual whenever he was approached by students, which was to put his guard up and use curt, shortly worded sentences to remind them that he was a very short-tempered man and that he had no patience to deal with them. He snarled, as he realized that it was highly unlikely that a mature, thoughtful child who seemed very conscious of other people, would believe him if he suddenly started acting like an _asshole_ now and ranting about students. The damage was done, and the only two things that he could do now were continue to treat the boy the way that he had been treating him or make it clear to Cloud that today was not an ordinary day and that he should not expect to talk this way with him again or look forward to this level of interaction. Doing so, however, would be…

_A shame._

_Unlike the other cadets,_ Genesis admitted to himself, _you do not annoy me, bore me or make me want to throttle you. I have genuinely enjoyed talking to you and hearing what your thoughts are._

_I believe that if our positions were not so different and we were co-workers, instead of cadet and SOLDIER, and we worked alongside each other, that we would continue to have interesting and intellectually stimulating conversations about materia, fighting and combat tactics. I'm sure you would have a lot to say and…maybe at some point we would talk about what your hopes and dreams are and what you want from life._

_I suppose I could ask you what your hopes and dreams are now,_ he mused, _but it's best that I don't. It would be getting personal and I don't want to go down that road with you. It's better to keep things professional and best that I do not get to know you and…_

The commander's narrowed eyes met Cloud's patient ocean-blue ones, staring up at him with curiosity. His cobalt pupils widened, as the eyes gazing up at him suddenly seemed far older and far wiser than he had originally taken them to be. Surprised, he looked closer, and saw pain, resignation, and understanding that he would not expect to see in one so young, no matter how mature they came across as being. He shifted about, not sure what to make of the hope, the patience, the compassion and the determination that flared up at him, but he knew that what he saw reminded him of Sephiroth, standing quietly on the balcony upstairs with green eyes fixed on a city that had forced him to grow up too fast.

In many ways, the boy and his close friend were not that _unlike_ …

And that made Genesis shudder.

_I don't want you to become anymore like Sephiroth,_ Genesis silently told Cloud, _but if you apply yourself the way he did and you maintain the mature outlook that you have now, you will go far. With your confidence, knowledge and your passion for learning, good things will await you whichever direction you decide to go, and whether you end up as an instructor in Shinra, a SOLDIER or a staffer in the weapons or science divisions, I'll watch from a distance and be happy for you._

_I hope, though, that you are considering the entrance exams – because it would be a damn shame if someone like you ended up in the army or working as an assistant for that bastard Doctor Hojo._

_Don't go to Hojo._

Suddenly, it felt very important to warn Cloud not to go to Hojo.

"You know a lot for your age," Genesis said, in a forced, stiff tone that felt very unnatural to him as he offered the biggest compliment that he had ever given to a cadet. "You're the first cadet I've run into who thought about fighting Cactuars that way and...come here. Let me see you."

He moved in closer, and held out a Velcro-clad hand, placing it on the cadet's shoulder.

"It is as I thought - you don't have much muscle," he said, "and your arms are thin as pencil sticks. You're short, underweight and not very strong, and yet you can overcome those disadvantages if you put your mind to it and if you are thinking about taking the entrance exams, I encourage you to work hard to overcome them. Just keep trying…and if you get frustrated, remember that you are knowledgeable, well-researched and confident. That says quite a lot." He withdrew his hand. "You have—"

His features tensed, as his eyes fell upon a piece of paper that had fallen out of Cloud's notebook and that had a very familiar signature scrawled across it. Before Cloud could react, he bent down and swept it up.

"You have a knack for getting into trouble," Genesis shot Cloud a reproachful look as he realized that the paper in his hand was a Xeroxed copy of the assignments and the detention slip that Sergeant Jackson had made for his records. "You said that you had gotten in trouble for disrupting SOLDIER 2nd Class Fair during his work hours, but it appears that you have been truant also." He held out the paper for Cloud, feeling annoyed that such an intelligent boy was behaving in such a detrimental manner. "I can understand how you feel about the course material," he said, "but it is unacceptable to be cutting class, because you are too bored to pay attention. Keep this up, don't apply yourself, and you certainly won't make SOLDIER if that is your goal. Pull it all together, work hard, and try to overcome your physical disadvantages and you might – you just might make it in."

He blinked as his eyes fell on the paper.

"They assigned you an essay on dreams, pride and honor and _hair care products?_ What did you…"

_Never mind,_ Genesis decided. _Forget I asked. I don't want to know. I am sure that I will find out, eventually, but right now I would rather not rot my brain talking about stupid things like shampoos and conditioner_. _Spare me the brushes and the beauty products._

He pulled back, once again carefully considering Cloud.

The Xeroxed paper that he had read said that Cloud had behaved _dishonorably_ and _manipulatively,_ and while he was in agreement that sneaking through restricted staff doors and interrupting people during their work hours was not honorable behavior, Genesis found it extremely difficult to think of the boy standing in front of him as a manipulative person.

Yet why then had his best friend reacted so poorly to the boy? What had Cloud Strife done to Sephiroth to make the general believe that they were dealing with an extremely manipulative cadet? Surely, the general would have looked at Cloud and seen how mature and considerate Cloud…

No, Genesis realized, Sephiroth would not have been able to see the good in the boy, for the general was not very good at reading people.

_I think,_ Genesis decided, _that Sephiroth is once again seeing manipulation in someone's heart that is not there. He must have had a bad experience with Cloud in the past that carried over, and is affecting how he views him now, or…_

The auburn-haired man glared, remembering that Cadet Strife had told him SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack had dragged him up to the general's office.

_Well,_ Genesis bristled, _that would do it right there. Sephiroth would be unimpressed by having an interview interrupted and he would think that Zack had dragged Cadet Strife along so the boy could score points with him._

_Very bad move, Zackary, very bad move,_ Genesis thought, as he looked intently at Cloud and said, "The cutting class, sneaking around, going upstairs during peoples' work hours needs to stop, and if I was your instructor, or your mentor, I would not put up with behavior like that, and you would consider yourself lucky if you ended up with a written assignment. I would see to it that you spent quality time with the Cactuars until you shaped up."

_I am very glad you are not my mentor,_ Cloud felt very relieved. _You would be very difficult for any student to work with._

"Fortunately," Genesis smiled nastily, as he established the position that he had meant to establish when they had first met, "you don't have to worry about that unpleasant possibility. And mentoring would also…"

_Take time away from you advancing yourself and your career,_ Cloud thought, and Genesis saw the confused look on his face and sneered at him.

"There are also very few students who could effectively learn from me," the commander laughed. "They all want to be muscle men, like SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack, and they would not benefit from a 1st who primarily fights with materia. If I started to explain materia to them, it would go in one ear and out the other, and our time would be wasted. It's best that little puppies go to someone like First Sergeant Hewley, who emphasizes strength and muscle, and not bother me."

_I get the point,_ Cloud flinched. _Don't worry – I understand your point of view clearly – and I can assure you, being mentored by you is something that I truly do not want_.

Suddenly, the derisive laughter stopped, and Genesis stood back up holding two 25-inch long swords.

"I could use a relaxing cool down workout," he said, offering the shorter of the two swords, "and I was thinking that you might want to spar with me."

He chuckled with amusement as Cloud's eyes widened.

"Don't worry, it will not be as bad you think it will be," he airily said. "These training swords, you see, do not have materia in them, so you will not have to worry about Hell Firaga or any of the other tricks you saw when the Cactuars were active, and I won't use any of my attacks, because—" He eyed the ash on the floor distastefully. "Simply put, I don't feel like adding to this mess the custodian will need to clean up."

_I'm sure the custodian will be thrilled,_ Cloud dryly thought, and he stared at the commander suspiciously.

What the hell, he wondered, was Genesis thinking? _Is he trying to get me to spar with him a way for him to reinforce how good he is over everyone else? I need the practice to get ready for the entrance exams, but…sparring with someone who is trying to lord it over me was not exactly what…Oh well, it is an opportunity to practice and…when my time to practice is cut down by my detention and stupid essays, I can't be picky about who my sparring partner -_

"Take the sword." Genesis snapped, drawing him out of his thoughts. "If you don't take it, I'm going to retract my offer. You have ten seconds, starting now."

_Nine, eight, seven, six, five…_

He smiled cruelly as Cloud reached out, seized the handle of the blade and pulled it away.

_About time. I suppose that you woke up and realized that this was a rare opportunity._

_Make the most of this,_ he thought, as he gracefully leaped to the floor, _because today is the only day you are going to get a chance like this…and if it had been any other student but you, they would not be getting this chance at all._

_~***********~_

Genesis strode to the center of the room, and as he took up a defensive stance, he found himself marveling at the boy's integrity. _You could have picked my brains when I was asking you all those questions about materia,_ he mused, _and yet you didn't. Rather than take advantage of the opportunity, you stood by what you said about not wanting advice as a reward for returning my earring to me. You truly are someone who shows consistency between words and actions and I respect your attitude that you want to learn things on your own, not have free advice handed to you. If it were not for those qualities that you have, I would not be doing the biggest damn favor I have ever done for a cadet now._

"Pay close attention," he firmly said as Cloud cautiously hopped off the platform and landed _hard_ on the floor. "If you are not alert, you are going to miss out on a lot, and there is going to be quite a bit going on here. You're going to have to deal with me getting up in your face and you're also going to have to absorb what I say about dreams, pride, discipline and honor."

He shrugged as Cloud pulled himself to his feet and staggered towards the center. "Of course," he added in a bored, indifferent tone, "you can always ignore what I say and just focus on fending me off, but then you wouldn't take in the information you need to complete your assignment. I suppose you could always interview someone else, but it wouldn't be the same as if you came to me for help with your assignment, for none of the other 1sts are as close to the general as I am and…"

"And it would be in my interest to take you up on this," Cloud admitted _._

_Yes, you would be a fool to turn me down,_ Genesis thought, and he raised his sword in challenge.

"Hold your sword correctly," the commander barked, irritated that Cloud was holding it the _wrong way._ "This is a light short sword – not a heavy oversized Buster Sword! Take what you have read about swordsmanship from your textbooks and _apply it!_ Don't hold it…"

He cringed as Cloud turned the sword around and gripped it from the side with loose fingers.

"No! Not that way either. You've read about how to hold swords, haven't you?" he snarled as Cloud quietly nodded. "Okay – then there is no excuse for not taking what you have learned and...Try again and get it right this time. If you don't get it right…" He watched as Cloud repositioned his sword, grasping the handle from the top with his right hand and the bottom of the handle with his left hand. "Better," he said, "but you need to relax your right index finger, or your grip will be too tight. Ease it slightly – that's it. Much better, much, much better than that disaster of a grip you showed me a minute ago."

Cloud tensed as Genesis practically spat in his face. He was used to sharp instruction from people, but he had never dealt with someone like Commander Rhapsodos before.

"I'm trying," he said, embarrassed that he knew how to wield and hold a difficult and unwieldy sword with ease, but that he was making stupid mistakes with a beginners' sword. "I am."

"If you truly mean what you say," Genesis growled, "you will start paying attention! You're letting yourself get distracted and if you do that —" He advanced and kicked, swinging his left leg low with the intention of tripping the boy up. "—I am going to do this!"

He growled as Cloud jumped back, and then quickly brought his sword back up.

"You can't lose focus – not even for a moment – or it will cost you," Genesis barked, as he swung, slashing downward with his blade.

"That is the first part of discipline," he said, as Cloud's sword unsteadily met his and metal struck metal. "Remember this: maintain your focus and concentrate only on your foe. Got that?"

"Yes," Cloud gasped, feeling pain shoot through his arm as Genesis struck, pushing him back. "What is the second part of discipline?"

"Self-control," Genesis replied, putting less force into his blows so that they would not hit Cloud so hard. "Never forget that you are strong, powerful and confident, but always remember that with such power, there is responsibility. A SOLDIER's duty is to protect the people and the interests of the Shinra Electric Company, not to use his strength and abilities for personal gain, to exact revenge on another person or to dominate a weaker opponent. Make sure that when you are fighting, that you are doing it for the right reasons."

"I am," Cloud determinedly said, as he pulled away from Genesis and brought the tip of his sword up to his opponent's eye level, spread his feet wide, placed his weight on his rear foot, brought his elbows close to his body and straightened his back. "I have always fought for the right reasons…I fight to protect what I cherish."

Genesis snorted. "The problem with what you just told me," he said, as he rotated his blade so that it pointed edge up and to the side, "is that it comes across as you saying that you want to protect your interests. You need to make it less personal. It needs to be less about you and more about the people. Otherwise your motivations seem selfish."

He could not have said a more provocative thing.

As Genesis coldly questioned his intentions, Cloud's eyes tightened and his hands quivered. His relaxed fingers loosened even more than they should, and his hands slid down the handle of his sword, causing him to almost lose his grip on the blade. He stepped forward, stepping out of the perfect stance that he was in, as he played back what Genesis had said in his mind. He defiantly thrust out his jaw, unhappy that Genesis had just accused him of being a selfish boy who thought about himself and did not cherish people or fight on their behalf.

_You are mistaken,_ Cloud wanted to tell the commander. _You have it wrong. There is not a single person that I do not cherish._

_I am not like..._

"This is a new side of you that I'm seeing," Genesis decided to swing at him at that moment while he was distracted. "You seemed so calm and unshakeable, but now I'm seeing emotion."

The commander slashed, forcing his opponent to flip his sword horizontally and raise it to block him.

"You just failed to demonstrate self-control," the auburn-haired man said, surprised to find his attack so easily blocked. "You let your feelings get the better of you. If your goal is to get into SOLDIER, you can't do that."

"I know that you are not a selfish person, Cloud," he said, softening. "You demonstrated to me early today that you are very unselfish and that you think of other people. It was wrong of me to say that about you, but…your reaction shows how important it is to maintain self-control. Without self-control, you are undisciplined. Understand?"

"Yes," Cloud said, holding out his sword and circling around the floor in a counter-clockwise direction, "I understand. Maintain your focus. Fight for people and fight for what you cherish. Keep your self control…"

He slid back, dancing to the side to avoid a strike at his exposed flank.

"But you have not told me about honor…what about honor? What is honor to you?" he demanded.

Sephiroth's second smiled. "Showing consistency between words and actions for starters," he said, as he sauntered slowly towards Cloud, sword held comfortably at his side. "I promised not to use materia, for example, and I have kept my word, not using any against you. However…" He motioned to the Summon orbs strapped to his waist. "You are…making me regret that I made that promise, though, for now that I see that you have one-percent of a clue, I wish that I had not made such a promise. Materia would have been a good challenge for you."

"I feel quite challenged right now, sir," Cloud whispered through grit teeth. "You're pushing me hard."

"And from this point onward," Genesis swore, bringing his sword up, "it is only going to get harder."


	10. Storm and Steel

**Chapter Ten - Storm and Steel**

_Midgar - εуλ 0000_

Genesis watched intently as Cloud Strife backed away from him – sword raised at a 45-degree angle with the blade pointed edge up over his head, feet positioned the perfect distance apart from each other, and back bent in the correct manner. He suspected that Cloud was intentionally backing into the corner to trick him into letting his guard down his guard, and was determined not to let the boy think that he could be so easily fooled. _You are going to need to try harder than that,_ he thought.

He stopped advancing and held his sword out. If Cloud was going to play it this way, he would stand here and force the boy to make the first move.

"Just a few minutes ago, I told you that honor is showing consistency between words and actions," Genesis airily said. "Do you know what else honor is about?"

"Honesty," Cloud said, grimacing as Genesis foiled what he had in mind by lowering his sword, making it too dangerous for him to roll under. "Telling the truth, no matter how unpleasant the news you bring is. Accepting the truth and settling down to it."

"Yes," Genesis agreed, raising his sword so that Cloud would see he had anticipated all his moves in advance. "Honor does involve honesty, but there's more to it than that. Honor is also about loyalty. An honorable person does not abandon his comrades when the heat is on or try to take advantage of an opportunity that would be beneficial to him, and to him alone, when what they are doing is a team effort. Honorable people do not advance themselves at their comrades' expense."

Cloud growled, annoyed that the commander was reading him so easily. "I also think honor," he said, bringing his sword down in case Genesis decided to lunge at him, "is about having strong convictions and never swerving from them and behaving in a way that is consistent with community values."

The commander nodded – yes, honor was all those things. The boy had just described the essence of honor very well.

"Then let's talk about dreams," the commander suggested, as he swung, slamming his sword hard across Cloud's blade. "Tell me what dreams you think a SOLDIER should have," he continued, quickly swinging again. "Or a SOLDIER should not have," he murmured, forcing Cloud's sword down with his full strength.

His eyes widened as Cloud flung himself back, violently sliding his blade out from under his.

"You...you just broke free," Genesis softly said, with mild awe in his voice. "You threw all your weight back when you were holding a heavy sword. You....you could have fallen over on your back and hurt yourself or cut yourself on your sword when you were falling."

He frowned reproachfully at the boy.

"This is only a sparring match, and not really that even…I would recommend that you reconsider some of your moves. There's no need to take such chances."

"You're right," Cloud agreed, as he righted himself, "normally, people do not take such chances, but…for me this is more than a cool down match. For me, this is a chance to see how much of the old Cloud is left, and what I need to work on to get myself ready for the entrance exams…therefore…"

"You are going to take this seriously," Genesis realized, as Cloud threw up his arm, catching the flat side of his practice sword and pushed it away. "You are determined to give me your best. And while I can't say…that such intensity is best-suited for a match like this…I do like it when people bring high energy to the training room and give it their best. Just…don't throw your weight back like you just did. I would rather not have you land on your sword and impale yourself. That body of yours…"

_This body of mine is being challenged,_ Cloud thought, as he was forced to jump over Genesis' sword as it swept low along the floor, aiming for his feet.

_You're truly testing my speed_

_My strength…_

_My reaction time…_

_My will..._

_My endurance…_

_My heart…he's testing my heart to see how badly I want SOLDIER,_ he thought as he was knocked to the ground.

_~*************~_

"Tell me about dreams," the commander said, as Cloud clutched his sore, swelling knee in the corner. "What dreams should a SOLDIER have?"

"They should…they should have dreams about the things that they cherish….and preserving the things they cherish…and they should think about things that give them hope, because…it's important to have hope...especially when things go bad," Cloud moaned.

"This is the second time that you have mentioned protecting those that you cherish," Genesis said. "I get the impression that protecting those you cherish is very important to you and that you would fight on behalf of the people you care about if you were in SOLDIER. That is…a good dream for a SOLDIER to have…dreaming about building a better future for people that he cares about. It's very different than my dream, but…you look exhausted," he quickly said, trying to shift the focus back to Cloud and away from him and his dream. "Do you _yield?"_

_No,_ Cloud was adamant. _I can't give up. I am going to keep fighting._

"I am a little tired, sir," he murmured. "You are very strong…and fast…it's hard to keep up with you, but…I want to go awhile longer if you have the time. I want to keep fighting…because my dream is to work hard and train hard to get into SOLDIER so I can protect the people I cherish…and if I stop fighting now, it does not bring me closer to the dream. So no…no, sir…I do not yield. I want to keep going…"

_Are you sure?_

Genesis hesitated, weighing in mind whether this was truly a good idea. Not only was Cloud starting to show real signs of exhaustion now, but the boy looked as though he had been hurt when he had been knocked to the floor.

Right now, Cloud was worrying him, stumbling about the floor with all of his weight being placed on his right leg, and very little of it being put on his left leg. It seemed as though the boy had suffered some contusions in the fall, and if that were indeed the outcome, it would be best if they stopped now rather than continue with the sparring session. It would be a terrible outcome if continuing to spar worsened Cloud's injury and fighting through an injury was also not an attitude that Genesis wanted to encourage. Although he believed that it was important to fight through one's pain on the battlefield, he did not consider it an appropriate lesson to teach a cadet, who was likely to push themselves beyond their limit, not knowing when to stop.

"I do not think that that would be a good idea," Genesis said.

He quickly walked over to Cloud and knelt beside him.

"Move your hands away from your knee," he sharply commanded. "Let me take a look at it – I want to see if there is swelling."

The boy reluctantly parted his fingers, letting the commander see his knee. Yes, there most likely would be swelling, and some nasty black and blue marks.

"Not good," Genesis said. "Your body is not conditioned to handle heavy pounding."

Cloud shot Genesis a determined look. "I've experienced much worse, sir," Cloud replied. "When I was nine, I fell down the trail in Nibelheim, and I got scuffed up real bad – had bruises all over my arms and legs and I felt sore all over. It hurt and I looked real bad, but…I didn't let that prevent me from showing up that evening to help my neighbor work on building the water tower that stands in the center of town. This bruise on my knee…doesn't hurt as much as the time I rolled down the trail."

Still, Genesis remained unconvinced.

"That is different," he firmly said. "You were _nine_ then and not enrolled _here_. The only thing you risked was your neighbor getting pissed off at you for failing to help set up the water tower. Now, you are here at Shinra, and you have to think about what you want to do with your life."

He lowered his sword, letting it hang at his side. "Ask yourself now," he sharply said, "if you want to be a scientist, an army grunt, or if your goal is to make it into SOLDIER. If SOLDIER is indeed what you are aiming for, then know your limits, and know when to stop. If you injure yourself before the exams, you are going to put yourself at a disadvantage, set yourself back conditioning wise and there is a very good chance that you will not pass. Do you want to do that to yourself and undermine what you just told me is _your dream_?"

_No, I don't want to set myself back with an injury,_ Cloud thought, _but if I want to have a shot at the entrance exams, I also need to push myself._

"I promise I'll stop if things go too far," he told Genesis. "It would be bad to fight through an injury, but…sir, I know when my body reaches its limits and…I haven't reached my limit yet. I feel like I still have some fight in me and if you would give me a chance to show you, I would…I would appreciate it. Please – let me try. It still hurts, but it's not that bad, and I think I can fight on it. Again, if it feels like it is too much, I'll stop. I realize that getting hurt would set me back and I don't want that to happen….I just…"

The boy rose up to his full height and put full weight on both legs, even though his knee felt quite sore.

"What I want," Cloud passionately said, "is to get a feel of what I need to work on to get ready for the entrance exams…and with the homework, the detentions and the assignments, that is going to be hard. I am not going to have as much time as I would like to train for the exams, due to mistakes that I have made, and this is a good opportunity for me, sir, to gauge my abilities…and it could very well be the best opportunity I get this week to assess myself. If you think that it would be bad for my legs, because they are not as good as they could be, I understand and I'll accept it, but…"

_But I'm not like my father, who discourages other people from trying…_ Genesis thought. _I'm…my own person._

_~*******~_

Genesis gazed at the glass paneling on the walls and saw his reflection and Cloud's staring back at him. As Cloud's reflection looked up at him, the commander reached to rub the back of his neck, and wondered how he came across to the young cadet.

If Cloud had initially seen him as a jerk or a spoiled boy, it would not surprise him in the least. Over half the student population seemed to either think that he was a pampered little rich kid, who had millions of gil to spend on brand name clothes and expensive gizmos, or hated him for being….hmmm, what were the unflattering terms the student population used to describe him?

Oh yes, "unnecessarily harsh," "over the top blunt," "arrogant," "self-centered" and, as one cadet whom had been itching for expulsion had been nice enough to put it: "You are an elitist bastard who rubs your skill and talent in peoples' faces so you can make them feel like shit. Congratulations, sir, you win the asshole prize of the year!"

Even nastier things still had been said about him than these remarks, but he had not particularly cared, and had shrugged his shoulders and laughed, finding their stupid gossip and their perception that he was a spoiled rich boy to be extremely funny. He had taken great pleasure in sharing the latest gossip with his friends, enjoyed mocking the cadets for their immature attitudes, and had never thought once about modifying his behavior so that he would come across as less hostile and unfriendly to new students.

For Genesis, it had been just fine and dandy that they considered him to be an egotistical, self-centered little mommy and daddy's boy, because the more they disliked him, the more likely they would be to keep away from him and the less inclined they would be to pull the wool over his eyes…so, no, he had not minded cultivating the image that he was the most asinine _son of a bitch to ever hold a position of power in Shinra_.

But now…now that he was sparring with Cloud he had to wonder if the boy could see that he was _genuinely_ concerned for his well-being and that he was not being a jerk and discouraging him from trying. He was not pulling the stunt that he had pulled in the past: pretending to be concerned about peoples' health to discourage them from engaging in particular activities when he thought so low of certain individuals' abilities that he could not think of a nice way to tell such people that they sucked.

~********~

"What are your limits?" Genesis quietly asked, his eyes still glued to the mirror. "You tell me that you know what is too much, yet you're a cadet who has not had any real serious training…so how could…without the experience…how do you know where to draw the line?"

It was a very good question and for a moment, Cloud was not sure how to respond to it. It would be very difficult to explain why he had a higher physical pain tolerance than most of the people in SOLDIER. _I could tell him the History of My Life 101,_ Cloud half-heartedly considered, _but I don't think that he would believe me if I told him how my experiences have given me the strength to endure excruciating kicks and punches, getting burned and electrocuted by powerful materia, and being bit and scratched by monsters._

"It is hard to explain," Cloud said, wishing that he could see the commander's face and read what he was thinking. "I just…I take what I've read about and ask myself whether I would be able to stand pain, and while I may not have experienced situations where I would experience such pain, I feel very confident about what I can and cannot take, because…because I have always had a very strong sense of who I am. I _know_ myself better than many people know me, but…"

He caught himself, realizing that the way he was phrasing his response could come across as him saying that he considered himself so good that he was resistant to correction or learning new things.

"I can be mistaken about things, sir. There are many times when I have not been right and then…I learn from those experiences and improve myself." he sputtered, only to be met with....

...silence.

Genesis sighed as Cloud stood there. _This feels very frustrating. This is irritating,_ he thought. _I think it would be best if I returned to the observatory platform, packed up my gear and called it a day so that I can stop thinking about these things._

And yet...

...something held him.

Instead of leaving, he turned to Cloud, who was standing in the corner, looking knowledgeable, strong and confident.

With a little encouragement, he mused, the boy would become much, much stronger, and it was quite possible that he would one day be an asset to Shinra. If, however, he were to discourage the child from trying or came across as someone who was trying to discourage him with "feigned concern for his health," such potential would be wasted should Cloud take what he said to heart and feel less inclined to apply what he was learning.

Given how mature Cloud was, it was doubtful that the boy would take discouragement so personally and would continue to prepare for the entrance exams anyway, in spite of what he said, but one could never be sure – especially since Cloud did strike him as being a _little self-conscious_.

_I am going to let you try,_ Genesis decided at last, _because I do not want to be like the person who discouraged me, but…I still think that giving you a few more minutes with me would be a very bad idea when you have bruised up your leg and seem exhausted_. _However…I am going to trust what you say about knowing your own body and knowing your limits._

_Hey kid,_ he thought, as he assumed an offensive stance, _if you want to take risks like this that could set you back from the exams, it's your bad judgment call. Not mine._

_~*********~_

"I am going to give you five more minutes with me," Genesis said, flipping his sword around in his hands to get a better grip on it than he had, "and then I am going to take my leave and lock up my office for the day. How hard we spar with each other in the next five minutes is up to you – you choose what level of difficulty you want and I will react adapt and react accordingly…just…keep it reasonable."

He looked very intently at Cloud. "Do what you feel is right, but don't do something reckless like try to throw your weight backwards like you did earlier or to attempt skills that you have read about that you _know_ can be dangerous to execute. Got that?"

"Yes, sir," Cloud said, feeling very glad that Genesis was willing to give him a chance. "I understand and I won't…" He hesitated, wondering if he should make this request of the commander. "I was thinking…"

"Yes?" Genesis sharply demanded, but there was no annoyance in his voice.

"If you want to use your Rapier, sir," Cloud made up his mind, "instead of the sword that you are using, I wouldn't have a problem with it."

Genesis arched an eyebrow – he would love nothing more than to use the blade that he was comfortable and familiar with, but he thought that it might be a bit much to use against a cadet. Was Cloud sure?

"I actually would like to face your sword," the boy continued, "because in the entrance exams…we get the choice of using different kinds of swords and I know that I'm going to be facing other students who are going to be using rapiers, estocs, and scimitars, so it would be good practice to see how I can do against a different sword if you don't mind and it is not too inconvenient?"

_I don't mind,_ Genesis nodded, as he leaped up to the observatory platform, bent down and snatched up his favorite sword.

"I hope that this is what you want," the commander said, as he jumped back down and held Rapier out. "I've retrieved my sword and I am not going back up there again to get the training blade, because you couldn't make up your mind what sword you wanted me to use."

He looked at Cloud skeptically, a little surprised that the boy was not put off by the reach of the sword or its speed and power.

"Long enough for you?" he asked, before he launched himself forward and slashed, striking at the boy. "Fast enough for you?" he followed up, as Cloud's blade criss-crossed with his to form a T-shape. "Not fast enough for you," he murmured, as the cadet pulled back and slashed at his legs, forcing him to flip his sword so that it pointed blade first downwards. He slammed his sword down, easily blocking the attack. "You are fast," he casually commented. "Quick reflexes…"

"As are you, sir," Cloud murmured, quite impressed with how smoothly Genesis had just changed directions. "You are very fast." He rolled away and brought his sword up, holding it at a diagonal angle above his head as the 1st raised Rapier and cut downwards, aiming for his shoulders. "That was a fast transition," he strained, arms and wrists aching as Rapier slammed down and he used all his upper body strength to keep his sword steady, block the move and push the red blade back. "I really had to think quickly."

"Yes," Genesis conceded, as he slashed three times at Cloud's sword arm, "you think quickly, but…" He growled as Cloud dodged his slashes. "You are going to tire yourself out using techniques such as the one that you just used and you are going to put a lot of strain on your arms. If you were stronger and had built up the endurance, it would be appropriate, but since you have neither the strength nor the conditioning, what you are doing is nothing but a gross masochistic mismanagement of physical and mental resources. If you want to be a glutton for punishment, go ahead and use such inappropriate moves and poor technique, but I – and every other person who you spar with – will see how quickly you tire and will have no problem beating you down and exhausting you."

He bore down again, forcing Cloud to repeat the same move that had so disgusted him.

"You don't want to change your ways?" he asked. "Having trouble thinking fast now? I thought you prided yourself on thinking quickly." He kicked, aiming for Cloud's right knee, and this time the boy was not able to react fast enough to prevent himself from being tripped up.

"Wow," Cloud whispered, pulling himself to his feet.

"You just got very sloppy," Genesis said, giving Cloud a moment to pull himself together. "Was it because what I just said distracted you?"

The boy adamantly shook his head – no it was not.

"Okay," Genesis said, "that is good to know that…"

Genesis was pretty sure that Cloud knew what his personality was like, but he felt the need to warn the boy anyway.

"Cloud," he said, as the cadet dusted himself off and picked up his sword, "I am a _very_ honest and _very_ frank person. If I disagree with what someone is doing or I think someone is not performing to their fullest potential, I am going to call them on it and tell them that I think that they are wrong. I am not going to be fake and tell people that they are doing well, because that would be dishonest and it would be encouraging them to perform badly. I'm not here to facilitate sloppy performances or to enable people to be invalids. I'm here to come to work, kick butt, protect Shinra's interests and make sure that the most competent people are working for the company, not bringing it down. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," Cloud said confidently, as he advanced. "You say it like it is and I appreciate that. You would be doing me a disservice if you did not point out my errors and I'm not someone who likes to be coddled. Please be as blunt with me as you like."

_As long as you are not attacking me on a personal level, being nasty just for the sake of being nasty or ripping into my friends, I have no problem with you being blunt with me,_ Cloud made up his mind.

"So you are saying you want to be treated the way I treat the people I assess?" Genesis sounded doubtful. None of the other students had ever told him before that they wanted him to "be as blunt as you like." "Are you _absolutely_ sure that you want that, because…once we go down that route," he said, "that's how things are going to be. I'm not…going to go back and treat you the way I was treating you before or tone things down. It is very annoying when people do not know their mind and are trying to constantly re-work and re-establish the dynamics of our relationship. I hope that you are not one of those people who doesn't know their mind, Cadet Strife."

"Like I said," Cloud repeated, as he slashed at the commander and was driven back by a very powerful counterstrike, "be as blunt with me as you like. I can take it."

"And you are spectacularly unimpressive at dishing it in return," Genesis said, sending Cloud back yet again.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Sensing Cloud's confusion, Genesis took a moment to clarify.

"You are respectful of people," the commander said, "and that is good. It is important to be respectful around here, but it is also important to be assertive, and you are not demonstrating to me that you can be assertive. All I'm seeing is confidence, but no assertiveness to go with that confidence, and…assertiveness is what the exam panel is going to be looking for. They don't just want people who are strong, quick and have good swordsmanship…they are also looking for people who are not afraid to get up in peoples' faces and who have leadership potential. Do you see what I mean?"

"Yes, I do," Cloud said. "I'm not coming across as very assertive, because…"

"Because you are doing a lot of blocking and defending and very little attacking," Genesis said, "and because you are doing a lot of agreeing. You have not challenged anything that I have said about you or any of the observations that I have made, which surprises me, because I would have expected you to defend that technique you were using to exhaust yourself…since you seem to like to use it a lot."

Cloud shook his head. "I did not defend it, sir," he said strongly, "because there was nothing to defend. You pointed out why using that technique would be detrimental for a person of my body type, and I saw no reason to stand by it. If I felt passionately about it, I would have stood by it. I stand behind my convictions. As for attacking, I have not really pressed an attack, because…"

"Yes?" Genesis demanded, as he sprang into the air, barreling down on Cloud.

Yet _again_ the boy evaded him, rolling to the side.

"Because I am getting used to what my body can do," Cloud honestly said, as he landed and swiveled around on one knee, trying once again to trip up the commander, "and because you are fighting me in a purely physical manner with a sword, sir. If there were other things going on…like if you were using materia or using your attacks…I might try to press an offensive."

Was Cloud saying that he would attack him when he was in his element? The boy couldn't be serious, could he?

"I don't know why you would want to press an offensive when I am using materia," Genesis skeptically said. "You are quick and fast on your feet, but you are not fast enough to outrun Firaga fireballs, and your body would not be able to sustain the damage that my materia would do to you. If I were to use Costly Punch on you, for example, it would hurt you in a very bad way. Surely you know how much damage Costly Punch can cause to the body of a person who does not have mako in their body and the regenerative strength of a SOLDIER?"

Cloud nodded – he was well aware of it. Doctor Hojo, being an exceptionally kind and wonderful man, had thought that it would be a great idea to have a bodyguard pummel him in the ribcage with Costly Punch materia right before the Jenova injections and mako baths had begun. Getting hit with Costly Punch hurt like hell…

"It would depend on what you were doing," Cloud said, realizing that he did not know of all Genesis' attacks or all of the materia that the man rotated in and out of his sword. "If you were using Costly Punch, I would try to get in an attack, because when you try to hit someone with Costly Punch, you have to change your stance to swing your arm back and hit them, and when you're doing that, there's a window of opportunity where I could…I would try to trip you up, grab onto your sword arm and throw you off balance, or smash into your sword. If I could throw off your balance and mess up your rhythm, then I could get a few hits in perhaps."

"You read too much," Genesis snorted in response, as he made a mental note to himself to ask Cloud later on how on earth he had managed to get a hold of the reports describing how to use Costly Punch that they did not make readily accessible to students. "But there are some tricks that you won't find advice on in your books." He swooped down, picking up one of the razor sharp feathers that he had summoned during his battle with the Cactuars and held it out to Cloud so the boy could see how dangerous it was. "Would you go on the offensive if I was blasting you with these?" Genesis demanded. "Would you try to attack me through Black Flurry?"

Yes, Cloud nodded – he would.

"Extremely poor judgment on your part," Genesis said. "Only someone who is cruising for a bruising would go on the offensive when I was using that attack…"

"Or someone who knows that if you get that attack off it would be fight over," Cloud quietly replied. "If someone cannot sustain that kind of damage, but they are fast on their feet, the best thing that they can do would be to try interrupt your attack during the delay that it takes before the attack goes off." He concentrated, trying to recall just exactly how Genesis had charged up the attack when he had been fighting the Cactuars.

"You pull your arm back, you close your fist," he recalled, "and then you keep your hand closed for about five – maybe eight seconds – before you open it and the attack goes off. That would give a person an eight second delay, plus the amount of time it takes you to pull your arm back, to interrupt you and…although it would be extremely hard, it would not be impossible perhaps…if the person you were fighting were fast and had quick materia like Hell Thundaga equipped. Maybe then they could…."

Genesis quickly did the math in his head. His eyes narrowed as he saw that the boy was right and there truly was an eight second delay before he finished charging the attack up.

"Do you do this with everyone?" he asked, remembering how the boy had been observing him practice kata sequences in the gym. "Stand around and watch people, learning their moves and materia?"

"Sometimes," Cloud admitted, whipping his sword around and parrying a very heavy and very powerful blow that Genesis aimed at his knee. "Zack told me once that you can learn a lot by observing other people, so I kind of take notes when I see something interesting."

_Thank you, Puppy, for teaching your friend to be so perceptive,_ Genesis sarcastically thought, as he decided that it was time to show Cloud what a SOLDIER 1st could do. _Maybe you are a little smarter than I thought you to be._

Genesis charged Cloud and then lunged forward. The boy had very little time to react as the 1st plowed into him, slammed him against the wall, and seized his sword arm. As Cloud writhed about, struggling, Genesis pressed into him and forced his arm down so that arm and blade hung at the boy's side and he was immobilized. Getting free was still possible, but it would take a considerable amount of strength and effort to push the far stronger commander away, and Cloud was far too exhausted to be able to break Genesis' hold on him and slip free.

"Sometimes, Cloud," Genesis cruelly said, as he disarmed the boy, tossed the practice sword to the ground and wrapped both his arms around the cadet's body so that Cloud's own arms were pinioned at his sides, "it is good to know when to shut up. Thanks to your detailed insights, I was inspired to try some of the sneaky tricks that you recommended, and it seems that 'grabbing onto your sword arm and throwing you off balance' when there is a 'window of opportunity' _is_ a very good idea and quite effective."

He reached for his Rapier and quickly pressed the flat of it just below the boy's throat, so that the blade rested horizontally along the cadet's clavicle.

"Do you surrender, Cloud?" the commander softly asked, as Cloud flinched against the cold feel of metal pressed so close to his skin. "Do you admit defeat?"

"No," was the winded response.

_No?_ Genesis tightened his grip.

"No," Cloud repeated, "I won't admit defeat. This time you won – you got me, but I am going to take everything that I learned today and everything that I realized I am capable of, apply it and try harder, so that when the entrance exams come around, I'll be able to put forth a really good effort. I want SOLDIER."

_Keep this up,_ Genesis thought, _and there is a chance that you will make it into SOLDIER. You are impressive_.

The commander eased his hold on Cloud. "For someone who has not received training," he said, in a cautious and distant tone of voice, as he pushed the boy away from him, "what you did today was very good. I was impressed by how fast you think on your feet, how you try to apply the techniques that you have read about, and how good you are at observing other people and figuring situations out. What particularly stood out to me is that you were able to determine the timing of my attack and you only saw me perform the move once and for a very brief moment. Most people observe other peoples' moves many times so that they can work out a strategy and you…" He drifted off as Cloud turned around to face him.

"You're not like other people," he said, an unhappy frown spreading across his face as he realized how awkward it felt to him to give another person any sort of praise, "and you have talent...but…don't let me tell you how impressed I was get to your head. There was some good, but there was also a lot of bad and the bad was _quite bad_ …if you do not get the bad fixed, it will stand out."

"I see, sir," Cloud said.

Cloud gazed at Genesis perplexedly, wondering what the bad things the skillful 1st had seen were. He stood there guardedly, weighing in his mind how he wanted to proceed with this – his desire to ask Genesis what he had done wrong warring with the promise that he had made to himself not to ask for anything from the person that he was trying to save. Requesting a detailed critique and advice would be extremely beneficial, especially since he had been self-taught and had never received any real instruction or constructive feedback before from a SOLDIER, but it still did not feel like it would be right for him to make such a request when he knew that Genesis was very reluctant to work with cadets and he felt embarrassed that Sephiroth's second had already gone above and beyond for him with offering to help him with his homework assignment. If Genesis were to tell him how he could improve, he certainly would not mind hearing the man's opinion, but no, he decided, he would stand by the promise he had made, and not solicit the man for an unoffered constructive critique.

"I'll think about everything I did," Cloud vowed, levelly looking at the commander, "and review it all tonight. I'll determine what I did wrong and then work hard to improve myself so I don't…"

"Are you aware of every mistake that you made?" Genesis cut him off abruptly.

No, he was not aware of every mistake he had made, but once he had some time to himself to think about what had happened, he was certain that he would be able to identify what he had done wrong and work to correct the technical errors.

"I have an idea what I did wrong, sir," Cloud said. "For example…I had problems adjusting to our height differences and your speed. This is the first time that I have ever fought someone who is as tall and fast as you are and I completely missed the mark, misjudging the amount of time that I would need to react when you were attacking me, and I miscalculated the distance between us at several times. Because I misjudged the distance…I wasn't prepared for how quickly you could get to me and how far your reach was…and then I had to defend myself in ways that were not exactly ideal and burned me out pretty fast. There's more…but those are the mistakes that come to mind right away…"

Genesis agreed – those were huge mistakes the boy had made, but inconsistent reaction time had been what had nailed Cloud. "What really got me," he said, "was your reaction time. Your reaction time is good, but nothing to pat yourself on the back about, and if I was an instructor, I would be calling you to task for it and marking you thirty points down for it. When you are facing enemies in a real life situation, you _absolutely_ need to have good reaction time…you cannot…"

He made a pained, disgusted face.

"It's something you need to work on," he said, deciding that the harsh, unflattering comparisons that he liked to use to shock people into improving would be inappropriate to use when he had just bluntly said he would have given the boy barely passing marks. "Fix it – shape up – or fail."

There were several other things still that needed addressing.

"Pick a sword that is right for you and learn how to use it," Genesis continued. "You fight decently with a training blade, but I don't feel that it is the right sword for you. Try to pick a sword that it is long and has good reach, but is light and quick and hits hard." He sheathed his sword at his side. "I would recommend something like Rapier…don't waste your time with heavy Buster blades, great swords or broadswords. Broadswords are…"

_Broadswords are a bad idea_ and he would make certain to tell Hollander, next time he saw him, that he had tried using a broadsword in practice, as had been recommended, and that he had found it to be a terrible experience – so unlike his beloved Rapier.

"I don't care for broadswords," Genesis simply said. "Don't use one."

"I won't, sir," Cloud said, understanding where the man was coming from, because he also had tried using a broadsword before he had had First Tsurugi made and the broadsword had felt unwieldy, alien and outright unpleasant in his hands. "I don't feel a broadsword is right for me."

_It isn't_.

"When you take the exams, they will not allow you to use offensive materia," Genesis went on, "because it is too dangerous for students – but they will let you use up to three defensive materias. You can pick any you want and I would recommend you choose a Wall materia. Put up Wall and it will help you absorb some of the hard hitting physical blows; don't put it up or don't make the effort to learn how to use Wall and you will find yourself performing moves that wipe you out and sap you of your energy very fast. Understood?"

_Yes, I understand._

"Thank you, sir," Cloud appreciatively said, finding the advice that Genesis had given him about the type of materia the examiners let students use and feedback on his reaction time to be truly helpful. "It means a lot to me that you just told me what you told me and that you explained discipline and honor to me. I have some ideas now for the paper that I owe General Sephiroth. Thank you."

And one could tell from the way that he said these words that Cloud truly meant what he said. This boy was most certainly not…like the other ungrateful students who had been grab and go. Unlike them…this boy truly knew the meaning of gratitude.

"You fight with the passion of a Valkyrie, but you have the heart of one who is beloved by the goddess," Genesis murmured to himself, in a very low voice.

"I don't understand?" Cloud asked, catching Genesis by surprise with how _amazingly good_ his sense of hearing was. "The passion of the Valkyrie?"

"Yes," Genesis acidly said, ticked off that Cloud had overheard his personal thoughts and that he had stupidly spoken them out loud. "Warriors who are protectors of…" One look into Cloud's eyes was all it took for him to realize that explaining the mythology would be a waste of time. The boy clearly knew what Valkyries were. "What do you know about them?" Genesis demanded. "What have you read?"

Cloud shrugged. "Not that much, sir," he said. "All I know is what a friend told me…that they are warriors who have a dual nature. Some people think that they are destructive and others think that they are good and bring hope to people. I don't know much beyond that."

_I am guessing that your 'friend' is Zackary,_ Genesis assumed, _because everything you just told me is a badly paraphrased version of a conversation that I had with Sephiroth and Angeal_.

"Whoever told you that," Genesis said, feeling more than a little annoyed that Zack eavesdropped on his conversation, "only got it half right." He started for the door, motioning for Cloud to follow him; instead of High Jumping back onto the platform, they would go through the side door to retrieve their things. "It is far more complicated than the simplistic explanation that they gave." He reached out, holding the door open for the boy to pass under. "Your foolish friend, Zackary, totally missed the mark by saying that Valkyries are _good_ or _bad,"_ he said.

"How do you see it?" Cloud ruefully asked, as they started to climb the stairs leading to the observatory platform. Hopefully, the commander would not use the topic as another opportunity to put down Zack – Genesis sounded irritated again. "Do you see them as good, bad or something in between?"

"I have no opinion either way until conclusive proof is found," Genesis said, moving to the switchboard to turn off the microphone that Cloud had left on. "I've read writings by scholars who say that the Valkyries were sinister angels who flew over the battlefield like big black crows looking for warriors to carry off and drag into the halls of death. Shit!" He swore as he flipped the wrong switch and the microphone screeched loudly in his ear. "From now on, don't touch anything in here," he grumbled, deciding that instead of fumbling with the various switches, it would just be better to yank the cord out of the wall. "It's very inconvenient to have…anyhow, scholars who view the Valkyries as sinister angels, tend to portray them as monsters and the heroes fearful, because they know that if they see a Valkyrie flying over their heads when they ride into battle that they will not return to their families alive. For these writers, Valkyries are destructive harbingers of death. But the other side thinks…"

Cloud slipped onto the platform and grabbed the backpack he had brought with him. "Yes?" he asked, to show Genesis that he was still listening, even though he had gone outside.

"The other side portrays the Valkyries as valiant, strong warriors who protect Odin," Genesis continued. "People who believe that there is good in them, though, tend to be a bit rarer than the people who think that they are monsters." He turned to flick off the lights. "One of the rare books that I found contained an illustration that depicted a Valkyrie as a brave, human looking woman with blue eyes, fine skin, silver armor and a scarlet corselet. The only characteristics setting her apart as being non-human were the flowing hair and the feather-plumage cloak."

He followed Cloud out and gathered up his things.

"As I said," he continued on the way out the door, "I have no opinion either way until more scholarly work is done…but I do tend to favor the 'kinder' betrayal. It just feels wrong to me that a creature whose eyes contained as much human emotion as the one in that illustration would be a monster that destroys people in battle…let's go."

As Cloud skittered out into the hallway, Genesis turned his head away to the side. _I was thinking of the latter of the two when I compared you to a Valkyrie,_ he thought, not wanting Cloud to see the soft smile that would mar his condescending and cold features. _You have the passion of a Valkyrie, because you fight to protect those you cherish, just as the Valkyrie fight for Odin, and there is also much about you that I do not understand. Who you are has yet to be fully revealed to me…and the way the nature of the Valkyrie is also yet to be discovered._

"If you have any follow-up questions that you want to ask me for your assignment," the commander distantly said, as he pondered the nature of the Valkyrie in his head, "you may e-mail me and I will get back to you when I can. Do not expect a prompt reply, however, because I receive a lot of e-mail and work related e-mails always come before student e-mails. Today was unusual – normally I do not have so much time. Understood?"

Cloud nodded - understood.

"Good," the auburn haired man curtly said, once again becoming the arrogant asshole who had happily told Zack Fair he was "Remedial 3rd Class 101," "you _do_ understand. Now go get the janitor to lock up this room. _Now_."


	11. The Lies of the General

**Chapter Eleven - The Lies of the General**

_Midgar - εуλ 0000_

"Carrots? Onions?" a silky voice asked with curiosity a few hours later that night. "Are they for a salad or are you making a vegetable stew? You have both recipes bookmarked in your cookbook."

First Sergeant Hewley looked up from his chopping board and stared into the commanding green eyes that were scrutinizing every move that he made. He nodded his head in acknowledgement and smiled mysteriously, but chose not to answer the question, deciding that it would be best to surprise Sephiroth rather than reveal what he was cooking. Keeping Sephiroth in suspense would be enjoyable for both of them and even more importantly, leaving the general guessing would further delay the tedious work related discussions that always seemed to pop up and eventually dominate all other topics of conversation whenever the swordsman came over to his apartment. Just this once, it would be nice if they could spend time with each other without dinner turning into another boardroom meeting or let's talk strategy with each other session.

"I bookmark all recipes that catch my eye," Angeal vaguely said, acting like it was not at all significant that he had bookmarked those two recipes. "Those just happen to be two of the vegetable recipes that I like." His eyes narrowed as he smashed his knife down, quickly slicing through the shiny moistened carrot sticks with the skill and precision becoming someone who had spent more than fifteen years of their life in the kitchen cooking.

"Sometimes," he continued, as he cupped his hands and swept up the pieces of chopped up carrot, "I don't use bookmarks to mark recipes. On occasion, I'll bend the pages slightly or put a black dot next to recipes I want to cook for my friends."

He reached across the counter, clawed at a tomato and rolled it towards his cutting board.

"The book you're looking at is not marked up, because I don't own it and I'm borrowing it from the library. I need to return it tomorrow. If you want to look at books I've marked up – try one of the ones in the corner. Maybe I'm using a recipe from that stack."

Sephiroth _hmphed_ softly in response and put down the library book he had been pawing through.

"I see," he said, his voice growing colder as he snatched up a likely book on "healthy cuisine" and started to skim the pages. "If you ask me, you need a more efficient way of organizing your recipes. I don't think that you have a good system going with your pen marks and your bent pages." He held up the cuisine cookbook so that Angeal could see that the book would not fully close thanks to the bends that he had put in the pages. "This strikes me as a perfectly good way to ruin a rather expensive book. I think…you should stick with bookmarks, rather than — where, Angeal, is the tape stored?" he asked, as one of the pages tore and ripped away.

"Over on the far counter," Angeal said, motioning with a wave of his knife to the far counter in the corner where he kept his office supplies and the potted plants. "You should find some up there…if not…check the drawer right by the refrigerator. I also keep some in there – and…when I finish slicing up these vegetables I can go…"

_Never mind_ – Sephiroth had already gone off to the corner and was ripping off pieces of tape.

"Thank you," Angeal said. "I appreciate it."

"Bookmarks," the general sternly said, "definitely are the way to go in the future. I cannot believe you bend your pages."

His reptilian eyes squinted as he turned to a recipe that described how to cook a spicy tomato soup containing _carrots…tomatoes…and onions…_

"Tomato soup?" he inquired. "Is that what you are cooking?"

"No, not tonight," Angeal informed the general, "but I will be cooking tomato soup later this week for Zack. He needs to eat healthier." He slid open a drawer by the sink and held up a plastic bag filled with shredded candy wrappers and sticky bottle cap lids. "As you can see, his diet…"

"It is a good thing that I do not ask potential SOLDIER 1sts if they eat healthy foods when they come in for interview," Sephiroth said with mild amusement, "or they would never work for me." He returned to perusing his book as Angeal tossed the forbidden sweets into the garbage bin and resumed cleaning the peas. "Your candy-loving apprentice met with me today," he continued, as he examined the list of ingredients for a countryside salad recipe, "and I spoke to him. I gave him the paperwork, made certain that he read the company codes of conduct, and then he went in to record the interview tape that Director Lazard requested. After the tape was completed, he handed it to me, and then left. I played the tape back."

"How did it go?" Angeal wondered, feeling not particularly thrilled that Sephiroth was bringing up work-related subjects, but he was not about to change the topic either since his superior officer was talking about his protégée. "Was it a good tape?"

"He did better than many people," Sephiroth conceded, recalling how the other 2nd Class SOLDIERs he had brought in for interview had gotten nervous and made mistakes, such as stuttering during their recordings, providing information that failed to answer the questions they were given, and rambling on needlessly when less was better. "The recording was clear and his responses were well-thought out. He provided effective examples to demonstrate that he has the experience relevant for the position and he showed that he has solid understanding of company policy. He did very well in areas where others are weak."

_But?_ Angeal sensed that there was more to what Sephiroth was saying, because his friend could never go without praising someone even if they did a perfect job. He always had to offer criticism as well.

"The problem that I had with the recording is that several parts of the recording sounded scripted and felt very rehearsed," Sephiroth said frostily. "I came away feeling as though he was reading to me from a sheet of paper instead of speaking to me as a potential job seeker being interviewed by an employer. Director Lazard will not care, because he answered all the questions and has demonstrated he possesses sound knowledge, but other people who hear the tape may have concerns and question his ability to interact with other people."

He cautiously lowered himself into the wooden chair at the table, book in hand.

"They may object," he strained.

"I would like to hear the interview tape at some point," Angeal said, feeling relieved that Sephiroth had not offered harsher criticism of his student. He had not been sure how a meeting between the two would go after the objections that the general had raised the other night, but now he could see that he had little to be concerned about. "After I listen to the tape, I will have a talk with him about it and ask him to assess his interviewing skills. There is room there for improvement. He's not the best interview taker in…Seph! Are you -"

"I just realized that SOLDIER 2nd Class Fair left his sword in my office," Sephiroth quickly said, fighting hard not to show how much pain he was in. "I hope he does not need his sword tomorrow, because I won't be in my office for most of the day – Director Lazard wants to meet with me to discuss the situation with Wutai. If he wants his sword back, he will have to come by to pick his sword up after the meeting is done and that will not be until around five o'clock in the afternoon."

"If you leave the sword by your desk," Angeal suggested, "I can let myself in to your office and pick it up."

Yes, that would work. Angeal did have a copy of the keys to his office.

"That will solve the problem," the general evenly said, making a note to himself to retrieve a practice sword from his closet and leave it by his desk so Angeal would have a sword to find when he let himself into the office. "Do that. He will need his sword in case the Director wants him to demonstrate his technical skills. He has wanted upcoming SOLDIERs to show what they can do in the past and he may be concerned about the recent evaluations that your student has received. 'Lacks focus, gets distracted…'"

_Yes,_ Angeal unhappily thought, _I know about the concentration issues that Zack has been having lately…but what about you and your problems?_

_~*************~_

It was clear to First Sergeant Hewley that something was very wrong with Sephiroth. The general had looked extremely uncomfortable just now when he had moved too suddenly to sit down in the chair and that was highly abnormal, because the Sephiroth he had come to know prided himself on enduring physical pain that would drive other people crazy and on not showing any emotional reactions when his body was being put through hell. The man's willpower to endure unpleasant experiences - such as getting his teeth drilled without anesthesia or deciding to self-operate and pull bullets out of his leg on his own – was incredible, and for him to react so strongly meant that that whatever injury that he had had to be even more excruciating than all the minor surgeries and self-operations that he had put up with without complaint. An injury that would cause such severe pain could be…

_...a severely fractured bone that is improperly healing and that he is just making worse by handling it the way he is handling it._

_He needs to go in and get his back examined,_ Angeal thought, suddenly feeling very frustrated watching the general nonchalantly reach for yet another cookbook, _and get this diagnosed so that he knows what is wrong. It is irresponsible of him to try to self-diagnose this, especially since he believes that continuing to train through his injury is a good solution and that taking strong pain killing medication will numb the pain._

_~********~_

Angeal turned off the faucet and approached the table, feeling obligated as Sephiroth's friend to express his concern and to confront the man about the poor decisions that he was making to cope with the injury. "How is your back doing?" he asked, as he held out a plate full of warm olive-oil soaked bread slices so that his approach would not seem confrontational. "Is it healing?"

Sephiroth's lips twitched at the unwelcome question. He had suspected that Angeal had seen how uncomfortable he had looked in the chair, but he had hoped that his First Sergeant would not ask after his health, and that they could keep the conversation focused on Zack and his upcoming promotion. He really did not care to talk about his health problems after he had spent an entire day fighting the infuriating chronic pain and he was not looking forward to having to defend his medical choices when he had had his share of going on the defensive with other people. He had _only_ been forced to defend his choices to five people this afternoon, one of them being Professor Hojo, who had called him while Zack had been recording the interview tape just for the sake of reinforcing his power over him, so yes…it would be best if Angeal did not join the list of people who had demanded he justify himself to them.

The general's shoulders tightened and became tense as Angeal sidled up to him with the plate. If he was to diffuse suspicion and convince the wary SOLDIER that his health was improving, he would have to play his cards right. Angeal would not fall for some bullshit response that he was feeling "fine" and had "never felt better" – especially not when he was doing irritating things like sending him e-mails questioning the websites he had visited.

Sephiroth shrugged and broke off an end from a slice of bread. "I think that I am on my way to recovery," he cautiously said. "It is not as recovered as I would like for it to be, but it is getting better each day, and I think that in a few more days, it should be normal. I'm not feeling perfect, but I am feeling much better.

"I went into the science lab. Hojo examined me and says that it is a herniated disc that is repairing itself," he scathingly added, knowing that Angeal hated to see him brood over the things that the hateful doctor did to him and would change the topic before the mood was soured for the rest of the evening, "and he took some X-rays. He showed me where the injury had occurred…after he conducted some other 'tests' on top of the X-ray exam…it was a good opportunity for him to squeeze in another appointment with me."

The lie about going to see Professor Hojo for a diagnosis did the trick just as he expected it would, for Angeal's eyes softened and the dark-haired man sympathetically reached out to touch his shoulder.

"I am glad to hear that they diagnosed the problem and that you are on your way to recovery," his First Sergeant said, regretting that he had asked. "How long before you are back in action?"

"A week at most," Sephiroth said, reaching over and quickly removing Angeal's hand from his throbbing right shoulder. It, along with his back, was hurting. "I've done most of my recovering."

"Has recovering involved taking pain killer medication like hydrocone?" Angeal absolutely needed to know before they changed the topic. He stared determinedly at Sephiroth, knowing that no matter how sensitively he phrased the question it would not go over well with the general. "Sometimes hydrocone is used to treat back pain and I found links to the websites that you visited on my computer while I was on a mission. Seeing the links made me wonder if Doctor Hojo was prescribing strong pain killers to you....or if you had ordered the medication yourself."

As dreaded, green eyes flashed with irritation and displeasure at this accusation.

"He didn't prescribe pain killers to you, did he?" he wondered, as Sephiroth's piercing gaze cut into him. "Seph…there are some dangerous side effects and it is not good medicine to take unless a person is experiencing intolerable, debilitating pain. You're not thinking about taking the prescription, are you?"

There was a long pause and then…

Sephiroth pulled his hair back so his bangs were not falling in his face and in his most level voice said, "No, I'm not taking hydrocone, nor am I even considering it. Hojo and I have not even talked about using such medication, because it is absolutely unnecessary for an injury like this and even if the injury was severe enough to warrant me taking hydrocone, I would not be able to. My…Angeal, my body would not tolerate it."

"Then why were you looking up those sites?"

"I had…reasons, but I was not thinking about ordering hydrocone for myself from Prescription Drugs Underground," the general said, drawing Angeal's attention to an article in the local newspaper that reviewed Professor Hollander's work. "I looked up 'lung cancer treatment options' because of him. Genesis told me that Doctor Hollander is suffering with his cancer and I wanted to see what medication was out there that he might be taking." He flipped the page over as a column criticizing Professor Hojo's work caught his eye. "The search I did on your computer took me to hydrocone websites, which I soon realized were not the websites that I was looking for," he continued to smoothly lie, "and I was not able to do another search, because your router went down and I could not log back onto your internet. Does that answer the question?"

Yes, Angeal nodded. He supposed it did answer the question.

He was not sure what to make of Sephiroth's story, because it seemed very coincidental to him that the general would be looking up pain killing medication when he was experiencing chronic back pains. It seemed a bit of a stretch to him that hydrocone websites would turn up in a search string for _lung cancer treatment options_ , but he was willing to take his friend's word. The general had a very compelling argument, insisting that his enhanced body would not tolerate hydrocone, and more importantly to Angeal, Sephiroth had always been extremely honest with him and had never lied to him once. If Sephiroth said that he was not thinking about taking questionable pain killing drugs, he would believe him, and from now on, he promised himself, he would also try to be less protective and trust that Sephiroth knew what he was doing with his health. He would cease asking questions or drawing conclusions that put his friend on the spot.

"I am sorry to hear that you have a herniated disc," Angeal said. "Did you…have you located the recipe yet? I'll give you a hint – there's roast beef and bread crust in the recipe."

"That sounds as though you are either cooking a roast beef stew or a pot pie," Sephiroth said, "I think I recall seeing a recipe for a roast beef stew in the first cookbook I looked at. Give me just a minute and I will find it."

He turned away from his friend, and flipped open the cookbook, feeling very relieved that he had deceived Angeal. Had he known that in a few days from now the extent of his terrible lie would be revealed in a fiery duel over the Shinra towers and that the loss of trust would divide them, damaging a strong, rewarding friendship, Sephiroth would not have felt so triumphant that he had pulled the wool over his companion's eyes, and would have said nothing, rather than feed his best friend falsehoods. The possibility, however, of having his lies discovered had never occurred to the powerful silver-haired man, who took it for granted that he was as skillful at lying as he was at wielding a sword and selling personality for the Shinra company, and it also did not help that everyone took his words at face value because he was the general. Never having had people question his integrity, honor and judgment to his face, he assumed that most people would accept anything that he told them, whether it was true or false, and his arrogant belief that people were bad and that they did not care what their leaders did also helped to provide justification for lying in his mind.

~*********~

"Is the bread good?" Angeal asked after a bit, and Sephiroth nodded absently, not realizing that he had planted the seeds of discord in their relationship and that this would be one of the last unconditionally trusting smiles that his friend would ever give him before things went to hell. "I baked it using a recipe that my mother taught me and this is the first time that I have ever cooked it for anyone. I hope it turned out well?"

_I have no complaints,_ Sephiroth distractedly thought, not particularly interested in the bread when the column criticizing Professor Hojo was far more fascinating.

"It's good," he said. "It was very well-made. Which cookbook did the recipe come from?"

"From the family cookbook," Angeal said with some disappointment.

He opened a cabinet near the sink and pulled out some crackers and cheese.

"I am going to put these out also," he said, deciding not to dwell on his disappointment. "If you want cheese and crackers while you read the paper, there's plenty to go around, and if you want refreshments, I have seltzer water, gin and tonic, wine and beer. I would be happy to mix something up for you if you decide that…"

"No alcohol for me at all," Sephiroth said, remembering that alcohol and prescription pills do not mix.

"But I will take a glass of wine," a smooth and cultivated cosmopolitan voice purred.

"GR…"

Both Angeal and Sephiroth looked up to see Genesis hovering in the doorway in a way that he was sure to command and hold their attention. As they turned to greet him, Genesis stretched his arms above his head like an eagle spreading out its wings to full length and leaned against the wall, posing flamboyantly. Wanting them to see just how much hard work he had been putting in, he tossed his head, letting the curtain of hair falling into his face fly apart to reveal exhausted, but exuberant and exalted glowing blue eyes. Hoping that they would ask about the sword that he did not normally bring with him to their get-togethers, he made certain to let his scarlet coat fall open to reveal Rapier and materia orbs sheathed and strapped at his side. Daring them not to take notice of him, he whispered a silent command to his sword, and the blade responded to his will, its hollow red runes pulsating slightly and glowing with a passive, but determined ethereal white light. If that did not get their attention, he was not sure what would.

"Somebody looks as though they've been fighting," Angeal commented. "What monster did you fight this time? Did you go another round with the Grand Horn?"

Genesis smirked and shook his head. No, he had not gone for another round with a Grand Horn. He had been there - done that and trying to wear a Grand Horn down with nothing but materia again would not impressive them. No, what he had done this afternoon would be the talk of the entire SOLDIER 1st department and the envy of his best friends.

"I didn't go for a re-match with a Grand Horn," he laughed. "I went after something much, much sweeter in the simulation room. And I won. The gruesome threesome should be having quite a night recovering on the compost heap."

"You didn't…" Angeal's eyes widened. "You beat them? All three of them?"

"All three of them," Genesis grinned. "It took me a long time to do it, but…they're dead."

He reached into his coat and held up the tape that he had pilfered from the video camera in the observatory room.

"You might be interested in reviewing this," the redhead arrogantly informed the general, whose eyes were a mix of jealousy, happiness for his success and impatience to try the Cactuar simulation for himself, "and take notes. You'll want to see what you're getting into and maybe you will learn a few things. It would be a good opportunity for one hero to learn from another, no?"

His lips twisted into a sneer as Sephiroth violently got up – pain be damned – and slid the videotape into the VCR and flicked on the TV.

"Eager to watch it now?" he asked. "I know that what I did was impressive, but have I created that many waves?"

"Genesis…" Angeal started, and he shot his best friend a look that said _shut up._ "I'm happy that you beat the simulation. That is quite an accomplishment – let's watch the tape?"

As Sephiroth set up the TV, First Sergeant Hewley headed back into the kitchen area, not particularly eager to be in the middle of the heated exchange that would inevitably ensue. His two best friends tended to get very opinionated and critical when they were reviewing each other's techniques and strategies and it was very distracting to listen to the general and his commander get into a pissing match with each other. There were more important things to focus on, anyway, like making sure that the roast beef stew was completed on time and that he measured all the ingredients for the pie correctly.

Still, he mused as he searched for the sugar, even with the loud kitchen fan turned on to full power and the sound of the oven humming in his ears, he would be able to hear them nitpick each other quite well. Both his friends had very loud voices and Genesis had no qualms about using his outdoor voice if he got excited or felt passionate about something.

As his fingers closed around the measuring cups, Angeal turned around and saw Genesis gesturing dramatically at the TV screen and Sephiroth point dismissively at something. He shook his head, wondering what the general could have possibly found to criticize within the first two minutes of the tape. He knew that Sephiroth loved to be super critical, but usually his friend waited awhile until a glaringly obvious mistake that he could criticize in great detail for several minutes stood out to him. That Sephiroth would start criticizing Genesis' performance so soon struck him as a little unusual.

"I have concerns with how you are positioning yourself, GR," he heard Sephiroth say, as footage of Genesis standing in the corner of the simulation room appeared on the flat screen TV. "I know that cornering yourself has worked well for you in the past, but here I think that it is a mistake. You seem to forget that these are not slow moving digital infantrymen that you can take out with a 'room clearing materia.'"

"It looks as though there is less than a fifteen foot distance between you and the Cactuars," Sephiroth continued, "and that gives you limited space to react. I think that it would have been more effective if you had started putting distance between yourself and the Cactuars right away or if you had prepared an area effect attack that would have knocked them over upon spawning. Or would you not have done that?

"I wonder if you know what you are doing," he said. "Cornering yourself is coming across to me as though you are a one-trick performer who has trouble thinking outside the box."

Had Genesis been a wolf, both Angeal and Sephiroth would have seen his hackles rise. "I disagree," the commander insisted, pointing out to Sephiroth how the Cactuars were converging on him. "If you look at it from this angle, you will see that they bunch up and run down a line. When they are all bunched up, you can hit them with Hell Firaga."

"If it is so effective," Sephiroth dubiously said, "then why did your Hell Firaga just miss its target? Were you…"

He stared uneasily at his auburn haired friend as Genesis picked up a ripe purple apple from the fruit bowl on the table and held it up, letting the light from the lamp sweep across and envelop the piece of fruit in a warm white glow.

"I see that Angeal served up apples," he dryly commented.

"' _There is no hate, only joy! For you are beloved by the goddess! Hero of dawn, healer of worlds!'"_ Genesis purred.

"Three friends go into battle," Sephiroth murmured. "One is captured, one flies away, and the one that is left…becomes a hero…"

"Do you feel as though you are recreating _LOVELESS_ in this tape?" he wondered. "You seem to be acting as though you are a hero."

"I try my best to portray an epic hero," Genesis condescendingly said, noticing that Sephiroth's brows were knit and his friend had a look of discontent on his face. Assuming that it was envy that he had performed so well, the commander snatched up the remote control and put the tape in slow motion so his boss could see how he had skillfully cast Graviga and Hell Firaga on the Cactuars. He could not resist rubbing in, "When you go in to do this simulation, I hope that you are able to perform as well as I have. I believe that my performance today has raised the bar and set a very high standard. I hope that you are able to achieve such a high level of excellence with all your overpowered Octaslashes, cheap teleporting and instant kill Heartless Angel attacks. I am sure that there will be quite a lot of challenge involved for you, just as there was for me."

This arrogant comment made Sephiroth completely forget about the unpleasant dream.

"I've killed five Cactuars before," he said smugly, determined to put an end to all the preening and bragging, "and this was before I learned how to teleport and use Heartless Angel."

Genesis turned as red as the coat that he was wearing. "You never told me that," he said.

"I didn't think that it was worth telling you about," Sephiroth casually answered, "because it seemed like such a trivial thing. I thought that telling you and Angeal about the time that I took on five real, not simulated Cactuars, would bore you, and that you would find it quite tedious. I apologize for not telling you, but I want you to live to a ripe old age – not die of boredom when you are in your twenties."

"How did you kill them?" Genesis asked through clenched teeth. "I would think that five Cactuars would be a match even for you."

Sephiroth shrugged. "I used Draw Slash to knock them down when they got close to me," he said, not really sure that he wanted to make a big deal out of his extraordinary abilities and flawless swordsmanship at the table, "switched between blocking and counterstrikes that pushed them back and used area effect materia. It took a while, but…they died."

He propped up his elbows on the table, clasped his fingers together, rested his chin on his clasped hands and drew forward, eyes flashing balefully at the TV screen as he saw his best friend take a direct hit from the Cactuars, stumble and he heard a familiar and annoying voice boom over the microphone in the background.

"What is going on?" he demanded, unable to make out that _Cloud Strife_ was expressing concern for the exhausted, battered commander. "Did you have problems with a cadet tampering with the equipment while you were practicing? Were cadets interrupting you during your work hours?" Since Genesis had the remote control, he leaned forward to turn up the volume on the TV itself. "This is unacceptable," he said, unwilling to consider that Cloud Strife could have been in the simulation room for any other reason than to cause trouble.

Genesis unhappily shook his head.

He had intended to subtly mention that Cloud Strife had returned his earring to him and that he had done some work to help the boy with his assignment so that he would not be the brunt of jokes about how he was softening up to cadets and letting them get under his skin and ask questions. He had been very reluctant to make a big deal out of what he had done for the boy, because in his mind it was a _one-time deal,_ his position towards helping students _had not changed_ and he was going to remain as standoffish, critical and nasty as ever, but now it appeared that bringing the matter up with subtly with Sephiroth staring unhappily at the TV screen was out.

He supposed that he could turn off the TV, change the subject and offer to help with dinner or get his friends worked up talking about politics to avoid going into detail about the subject, but that felt _wrong_ of him to do when Sephiroth had a look of pure hatred on his face and was wishing that he had detention slips beside him. It would be dishonorable of him to let Sephiroth persist in hating Cloud for the wrong reasons, especially if such dislike resulted in the general going back upstairs after dinner to dish out another harsh punishment for the boy.

"He _did not_ disrupt me during my work hours," Genesis firmly said, causing Angeal to look up from his cooking and Sephiroth to pause the video. "I invited him up to the simulation room, because he was unavailable when I tracked him down in the gym. He informed me that he was serving detention and wanted to finish serving his time before he went back to his room." He pulled his hair back, revealing the very expensive earring that he had commissioned. "He found the earring that I had lost and came up while I was practicing to return it to me."

"'Silver Earring Found in the Slums,'" Angeal murmured, recalling the spam e-mail that he had reported earlier in the day. "The spammer…"

"Yes," Genesis said, letting his hair fall back into place. "He is a bit of a spammer. I wanted to break his kneecaps when he sent everyone that e-mail, but…I don't think that he was maliciously trying to spam everyone. He did not come across as a malicious person." He looked directly at Sephiroth, who was gazing at the screen incredulously.

"Socially clueless, yes," Genesis said, "and a bit annoying, but good-intentioned…when I came to pick up my earring, he refused to take a reward, even though I insisted and was ready to give him one hundred gil to get the earring back."

Sephiroth snorted. No, Cloud Strife would not want cash rewards. A manipulative boy like that would want advice handed out to him as a reward and would want to get close to SOLDIER 1sts, using them to advance himself. How convenient it was for Cloud that he had just happened to have a run in with the second most powerful and influential man in all of SOLDIER.

"I offered him advice also," Genesis said, reading his best friend's mind, "and he refused advice as well, because he wants to learn everything on his own for the exams and he knew that it would not be appropriate to stand there, talking to me when he needed to serve his detention and work hours were going on. I told him to meet me later on, after he finished his detention, and so he came to the simulation room and…"

"And went into a side room that he was not supposed to go into and touched staff only equipment because he got bored," Sephiroth assumed.

No, Genesis waved his hand dismissively. It had not been like that.

"I told him to let himself in and come upstairs to the observatory room," the commander explained. "I was not about to tell him to just come in when there were Cactuars running around and area effects going off. It was safer for him to be in there…and…as for touching the equipment, I yelled at him afterwards about that. He should not have touched it, but he only turned on the microphone, and I think he did that because he was worried that the little beasts were pummeling me. I think he thought that I was in trouble."

He fell silent, waiting for Sephiroth to say something and to react, but it was Angeal who reacted first.

"I respect that kind of unselfish behavior and concern," Angeal said, causing Sephiroth's eyebrows to twitch.

"Genesis," Sephiroth sharply said, feeling the need to caution his friend about the boy, "do you know why he was serving detention?"

"Yes, I am aware of the things that he did," Genesis said, wishing for once that Sephiroth was more forgiving of people. "I _saw_ the detention slip and I _saw_ the assignments that he was given and…I offered to help him with the ten thousand word essay that he is supposed to write on dreams, honor and discipline. He interviewed me this afternoon…when I made time for him in my schedule…not when I was in the middle of something."

The general could not believe what he was hearing. GR had agreed to let Cloud Strife interview him for his assignment _?_

"I see," Sephiroth stiffly said. "Instead of taking you up on a cash reward, he demanded that you help him with his homework assignment."

"No," Genesis corrected his friend, "he did not demand that I help him with his detention assignment. He was adamant about not wanting any kind of reward. I saw that he had a big assignment and I _volunteered_ to help him with it and while I was doing my cool down, we talked about dreams and honor. It was…a good interview. He expressed some very good ideas and knows a lot. To be honest, he surprised me with what he knows about materia, swordsmanship and fighting monsters. The first thing that he said to me was that it is hard to overcome the Cactuars' regen because they are always using Osmoga."

Now _that_ was something you did not hear every day from a student.

"How does he know something like that?" Sephiroth suspiciously asked, turning up the volume.

"I don't know," Genesis admitted. "I assume that he reads a lot. He knows things that I would not expect a cadet to know."

"Such as?" Sephiroth wondered.

"Such as how to select materia that is appropriate for his body type and size," Genesis said, as he helped himself to the refreshments Angeal had brought out. "Sword techniques that I would not expect a novice to know. Knows how to observe what other people do and draw conclusions. You can…borrow the tape if you feel like it and see for yourself what I mean.

"Now, I think that there are important things that we should focus on, such as…helping Angeal lug the heavy barbecue outside. Is there anything that I can help you with, Angs?"

_No, let's watch the tape,_ Angeal quickly thought, as Sephiroth looked at the barbecue sitting in the corner of the room.

"I could use some help getting the cabbage ready," he said, promptly producing some knives and a chopping board, "and I don't mind hearing the tape play in the background."

Next thing Genesis and Sephiroth knew, he had swooped over to them and was placing the vegetables and cutting tools on the table.

"I'm actually rather curious what you two had to say about dreams, pride and honor – it's not every day that we get to hear you lecture about such subjects, GR."

Genesis scowled – he had known that he was going to raise eyebrows for doing the unthinkable and helping a cadet, but this was worse than he had imagined. "Consider it the only time that you will ever hear me lecturing about such topics," he hissed, as he took up a cutting knife. "I assure you, it won't be happening again – I am a CBA."

He laughed as Angeal stared at him, perplexed.

"Certified Bonafide Asshole," the commander said under his breath. "A monster. He did a nice thing for me today and I helped him out, because even monsters have honor…but my position has not changed about how I feel about students. I don't have the time or the patience for them and I do not get along with them at all."

"I don't know…" Angeal doubtfully said, gesturing to Cloud on the tape. "You look like you're doing okay here."

_Wait. The two of you talked about dreams, pride and honor? And the boy is claiming that he fights to protect people he cherishes?_ Sephiroth boggled, as he listened to the boy he had deemed to be a manipulative, lazy, troublesome child claim that he cared about other people. _Hard to tell that after the garbage he has pulled._

His sharp, judgmental green eyes zoomed in on the screen, taking in the adamant fire blazing in the boy's irises, the chin thrust out with defiant conviction and the calm facial features. He followed the boy's gaze, noting that Cloud was keeping his eyes level with Genesis' and staring the man directly in the face as he defended himself, and it also did not go unnoticed either that Cloud's voice, while tense, ragged and breathless, sounded very sincere and passionate.

"Nice block," Angeal said, as the camera showed Cloud quickly flipping his sword horizontally to defend against a powerful slash from Genesis. "Not bad reaction time."

_No, not bad reaction time at all,_ Sephiroth thought, noting that Cloud had barely had to change his stance to defend and that he had near flawlessly changed the direction of his sword. _And he's holding his sword correctly also…it's pointed the right way, right length…and his fingers are spread the right distance apart…_

"You can tell what he is thinking, too," Angeal pointed out, when Cloud focused on the floor and on Genesis' legs. "Here he is thinking about using his height to his advantage…he wants to drop down and aim for your knees…and knows that because you are taller, you will have slower reaction time to defend…but I see, you lowered your sword to prevent him from dropping. Good move…"

He frowned as swords clashed and Cloud broke away, throwing his weight backwards.

"Now that," he added, "is not such a good move. I can see what he is trying to do, but he does not have the experience or the skill to pull it off."

_No, he has the skill,_ Sephiroth darkly mused. _He knows what to do with his body. The only thing preventing him from pulling the move off is his weight and his size. If he were a little taller and heavier, he would be able to execute it and not endanger himself._

"He just tried to butt you with his head," Angeal murmured. "That's aggressive…"

_Sure is,_ Genesis agreed, now seeing things that he had not seen before.

Now that he was not in the thick of a sparring match and trying to come up with decent interview questions for Cloud, Commander Rhapsodos was noticing how quick and agile the boy truly was, and just how comfortable the cadet seemed switching between offensive and defensive stances. While the boy did appear to be exhausted and quite sore, Genesis noted that he did not seem emotionally frazzled or alarmed by his opponent's sudden movements and the beating that he was taking. Instead, the boy came across as confident, calm and collected – and if one looked closely at his eyes and mouth, one could see that he was strategizing and that the child was silently counting the distance between himself and his opponent or counting the pauses in between moving in and out of the various stances.

"Can you read what he is saying to himself, Angeal?" Genesis asked, hoping that his friend would be able to lip read what the boy was saying. "He's counting distances or pauses, is he not?"

"I can't tell," Angeal said, "but I think…that you are probably right."

"It's unusual for a cadet to be able to think as fast on their feet as this and count pauses at the same time," Sephiroth darkly said, starting to feel rather perturbed watching the tape. "Most of the cadets just react…they don't count…getting comfortable enough to time things like this comes with training and experience ...it's a skill that you do not really master until you are in 3rd Class or 2nd Class. Yet…"

_Counting is coming so easily to him,_ Genesis contemplated. _It's like it's second nature to him_.

"What do you know about the boy?" Angeal asked. "Does he have family here...a relative perhaps who is in SOLDIER and might have trained him?"

"He comes from Nibelheim," Sephiroth said, feeling even more perplexed as Cloud was bowled over, got back up onto his feet and told Genesis that he didn't mind if he was blunt with him, "a small backwater town in the middle of nowhere…and when I reviewed his file, it was very unexceptional. According to his record, he has had no prior experience fighting before, and…no, Angeal, he does not have any relatives in SOLDIER. I think that I would know if he did."

"He understands Costly Punch?" Angeal marveled. "And he's aware of how you time your attacks?"

"Apparently," Genesis said, feeling just as surprised now as he had in the training room. "He is extraordinarily perceptive and as I said, I believe that he reads everything that he can get his hands on. He knows a lot about materia and the various stances, but…the rest of the tape is not worth watching," he said, shutting off the TV before Sephiroth could unpause the screen. "The rest is just me packing up my gear, him thanking me and me yelling at him for turning on the microphone."

"Sephiroth?" Angeal wondered, noticing that the general's brows were knit. "Is something wrong?"

Yes, something was indeed wrong.

When he had written Cloud up, Sephiroth had assumed that he was dealing with a lazy, manipulative troublemaker who was trying to advance himself through trying to get close to people such as himself and Zack Fair, but now he could see that he was mistaken. Having seen that tape, he now realized that Cloud was studious, intelligent, willing to receive the bluntest constructive criticism imaginable, and that he possessed skill that was extremely rare to find in a cadet. The child's precognitive abilities, his knowledge and thick skin had impressed him as he had watched his good friend and the boy from Nibelheim spar, but instead of feeling the curiosity and interest that his friends now felt, Sephiroth found himself feeling appalled and offended that someone with so much talent was willing to throw it all away doing pointless, dishonorable things like interrupting work hours and cutting class.

"What do you think of the tape, Seph?" Genesis inquired.

"I think that the boy is _wasted_ talent," Sephiroth disappointedly said, sinking his knife into a piece of cabbage before he ripped off the leaves. "He is obviously a very capable student and a decent fighter, but he is squandering all his potential behaving in a very immature manner. If he is too bored to pay attention to his coursework or desires to be sent home, all he needs to do is come to me and ask for a dismissal and I will send him off – there is no need for him to keep behaving badly until he gets expelled. It would be better for him to return to Nibelheim than to waste the instructors' time. If he decides to apply himself…"

Genesis turned away, disagreeing with his superior officer's assessment, but he did not say anything, knowing that there was nothing more that could be said at the moment to defend Cloud. It had been his hope that speaking favorably about the boy in passing would change Sephiroth's mind about the cadet, but standing up for Cadet Strife had not yielded the results that he had hoped for. For a moment, Genesis wondered if he had made it worse, for it seemed to him that although Sephiroth was now willing to respect Cloud's skills, he now had a different negative perception of the boy. Perhaps, he mused, it would have been better for Sephiroth to continue thinking of Cloud as a troublemaker than to think of him as an intelligent boy who was acting out because he was bored.

"If he had someone to guide him," Genesis softly said to himself, "he might not turn out to be wasted talent."

Complete and total silence descended on the room.

Genesis' fiery eyes looked up guardedly as he realized that both his friends were staring incredulously at him.

It was only when Sephiroth asked, "Are you volunteering to mentor him?" that the commander realized what he had just said.


	12. Genesis' Choice

**Chapter Twelve - Genesis' Choice**

_Midgar - εуλ 0000_

Genesis sulked for the remainder of the get together, irritated that he had spoken his thoughts aloud to his friends and feeling even more annoyed with himself that he had even considered mentoring a student. For the rest of the evening he kept a low profile, only calling attention to himself right after Sephiroth had calmly asked him if he wanted to be responsible for Cloud Strife. To guarantee that they would forget about his slip of the tongue and about Cloud Strife, he had made a big deal out of what Zack had done, describing in great detail how the boy had sneered at him, rolled his eyes when he had only wanted to know if he had found his advice helpful and complained that Zack had not even given him the chance to congratulate him on his recommendation to 1st Class. He had ranted about how the boy had slammed his hands against the buttons to make sure the elevator door quickly closed in his face, offered to describe other incidents to his friends and damningly said that he thought Zack's recommendation should be withdrawn.

This rant had achieved the results had Genesis desired, for Angeal had looked very ashamed and quickly said that he would have a talk with Zack about his unbecoming conduct, and Sephiroth had suggested that they talk about other things, such as the delegation of responsibilities in the weapons and engineering departments. Angeal had agreed that that would be an excellent topic and they had proceeded to plunge into a thought-provoking and very dull discussion about breakthroughs with armed robots. When that had gotten old, Sephiroth had brought up the war with Wutai and life had almost been good with the subject of mentoring not being brought up.

Forgetting about it would have been even better.

Although neither of his friends had pursued the subject matter with him, Genesis had gotten the sense that both Sephiroth and Angeal could not get over what he had said earlier. As they had sat around the table eating the soup, the bread, medallions of beef and a delicious Banora white apple pie, the commander had felt as though both of his friends were enjoying his discomfort.

This doubt that he had in his mind had steadily grown throughout the evening and it had eventually gotten to the point where he had felt extremely annoyed putting up with the smug, mocking looks that Sephiroth had shot him, and the amused smiles that Angeal had given him. If First Sergeant Hewley had not promptly booted him as soon as dinner was over, Genesis was certain that he would have made an extremely nasty and sarcastic comment about students.

~************~

_You two well-surpassed the amount of bullshit that I am willing to put up with in one night,_ Genesis now scathingly thought, as he sat beside the fountain outside the Shinra Building. _You in particular annoyed me, Sephiroth, and when we duel in a few days from now, you will regret that you ever looked at me so smugly. It will be hard for you to be smug when I'm kicking your ass all over the simulation room with Rapier and my materia…and if you join us for our little sparring match, you better watch out also, Angeal. I'm not letting you go unscathed either for those smiles._

He splashed water across his overheated, weary face, and as he did so his strained eyes fell on a poster of the general that Shinra had put up.

It was a new poster that he had not seen bfore, and as he looked at it, he found himself shaking his head.

Unlike the other numerous posters that he was using to seeing all over the city of Midgar, this one made him question what he saw because it had "'General Sephiroth Wants You! Come and try out Shinra…'" printed all over it.

And that was misleading, because it failed to capture what the general really thought of cadets or how he treated them. When one looked at the poster, one walked away with the impression that General Sephiroth wanted you and that he was very interested in having you succeed…when in reality, Sephiroth could care less how many cadets Shinra had, did not take an active interest in other people and was saying that people should ask that they be dismissed when he had the opportunity to… encourage them.

And those actions…

Those actions suddenly felt very wrong to Genesis, because saying that people should be dismissed if they weren't able to pull their act together and calling them "wasted talent" sounded very much like what his father would say to him.

~*********~

_I understand now,_ Genesis admitted to himself, _why I stood up for you…_

_When I saw the brutally worded detention slip that Seph had written for you, I subconsciously thought about my father. It felt to me as if Sephiroth was taking an approach that my father would take, discouraging you from trying by handing out a very harsh punishment, and I also realized that your punishment was going to limit your time to prepare for the exams._

_I reacted negatively to both, especially when I realized how having your time cut back would further discourage you from trying for the entrance exams, and so…_

_I...offered to help you with your assignment and offered you the chance to spar with me on the floor. I hoped that through interviewing me, you would get one of your assignments out of the way, and that by sparring with me during the cool down exercise, you would be able to recover some of the time that you had lost._

_And I understand, too, why I thought about mentoring you…_

_I thought it and said it, because…because I was frustrated that even after seeing that tape and seeing how good you are, Seph kept calling you "wasted talent" and acting very dismissive of you._

_~****************~_

He closed his eyes and sighed - disgusted that he had even considered helping Cloud out.

_I am not going to go through the drama I went through with that other boy,_ he thought. _Been there, done that, and I don't care to have stupid bullshit thrown in my face again by people like you, Cloud Strife. I…_

_I know that you wouldn't do that,_ Genesis corrected himself, as he realized that he was unjustly imposing negative personality traits that he had seen in other cadets on Cloud Strife.

_You are not like the others. At least…I don't think you are…_

_If you turn out to be as bad as them, this will have been the biggest error in character judgment that I have ever made. But for now…I am willing to trust you and willing to stand up for you...I guess..._

_~**********~_

Genesis ran his fingers through his thick mane, feeling more torn in two than he had in many years as his mistrustful mind continued to scream at him that mentoring should not be included as part of the trust that he was willing to give to Cloud Strife. Once again, he tried to banish such thoughts from his head, and yet to his frustration he found that trying to push the idea away only had the opposite effect on him, for every time that he played back the encounter that he had had with the boy, the more it seemed like it would be the right thing for him to do.

The more he thought about the blond little bookworm, the clearer it became to him that Cloud was going to suffer if he tried to prepare for the entrance exams on his own. The cadet was smart enough that he would be able to put forth a good effort without someone coaching him, but odds were stacked against the boy that a self-taught effort would be good enough to pass the exams, and there were also skills out there that the boy would not be able to master on his own without a partner.

_You do not learn how to improve your reaction time by practicing with yourself,_ Genesis thought, _and you are also a damn fool if you try to master certain technical skills on your own such as…that move that you were trying to do earlier. Try that alone without a spotter and you're asking to take a trip to the -_

"God damn you, Cloud Strife…"

The commander swore, flipped his cell phone open and entered a phone number. He started walking towards the public library, where Cloud had said he was going to do research after they had parted. Four rings later, Sephiroth picked up.

"What do you want, Commander?" the general demanded, more than ready to get off the line and get to bed.

"I wanted to talk to you about the boy," Genesis quickly said, before he could talk himself out of what was most likely going to turn out to be a very bad idea, "and the things that you said back at Angeal's place. You called the boy 'wasted talent' and I agree with you.

"Wasted talent," he continued, "is a drain to have around here and that is why I am asking you to reconsider the terms of the detention that you gave him. Instead of having him sit in the gym, I propose that he spend the time with me improving his mind. Perhaps it will serve as a wakeup call for him and he will realize that he needs to apply himself and quit pulling antics like cutting class and interrupting staff hours."

As expected, the phone line suddenly became very quiet. The icy silence meant that Sephiroth either thought that this was an extremely bad idea or that his second in command had lost it.

"It won't be a fun experience for the cadet," Genesis went on, "for it is not my intention to reward him for his bad behavior. I have no doubt that after a few detentions with me he will wish that he was back in the gym running laps for the drill sergeants."

He pressed the receiver as close as he could to his ear, listening for any signs of life on the other end of the line.

"I do not plan on taking it easy on him and I hope that he has a very thick skin, because I have no intention of coddling him, being nice or telling him that he is doing a 'good job.' I am going to tell him exactly what I think and you know how honest I can be…"

His tone became very smooth and persuasive as he came up with additional things to say that would sell Sephiroth on the idea.

"I'm not asking to make this a long-term or an official arrangement – just long enough for him to serve his time and for him to realize that he's going about it wrong and wasting his potential. If you don't like the idea, then he can be influenced by boys like…"

Who did he know the general disliked? Oh yes…"…Reno."

_That_ got a reaction. "Reno…" the general hissed.

Thirty minutes later, Genesis was ready to confront Cloud.

He found him squirreled away in the back of the library, working on the evil hair care products essay that he owed Sephiroth, and...

... _reading books written by Professor Hojo,_ Genesis thought with disgust.

He sauntered on over to the table Cloud was sitting at and disdainfully pointed to the stack of Hojo books scattered around the reading area. "Interesting choice in reading material that you have, Cadet Strife," he disdainfully said. "An assignment for your class? Are you doing research on the achievements of Professor Hojo or just interested in what Hojo does?"

Cloud's eyes widened. _How long has he been here,_ he wondered uncomfortably, lips parting slightly and cheeks flushing.

Genesis flipped open a book and turned to a page that Cloud had bookmarked. "I will assume that you are doing your own research then," he concluded, when he saw that one of the essays Cadet Strife had been reading was a very nasty article. "You could not use an essay like this for homework."

No, not homework, and he certainly was not about to explain that his extracurricular activities included finding ways to remove Hojo from power.

"Hello again, Commander, sir," Cloud politely said, wishing that Genesis would put the books down and would just cut straight to the chase. He got the impression that Commander Rhapsodos had intentionally come up here to seek him out and that the extremely busy 1st was not doing late night book browsing for high quality reading material. "How can I help you?"

"By remembering to get my signature on your assignment," Genesis smoothly said, using this as his excuse to lead into the real reason that he was here. He reached for the black pen that Cloud kept next to his work materials and uncapped it.

"Your signature?" Cloud was confused.

"Proof that you interviewed me for your assignment," Genesis said in a slightly mocking, but not cruel tone of voice. It was highly amusing that someone as intelligent as Cloud was being so extremely _dense_ about something so obvious.

"If you don't have my signature," the 1st made as if he was leaving, "then the person who reads the assignment will either assume that you made up interviewing me or you won't receive credit for your assignment when you turn it in. If the person who reads your assignment thinks the former has happened, you will likely end up with an even harsher detention than the one that you are serving now, and if he decides not to give you credit, he will ask you to do the assignment over again. I highly doubt that you want to have to rewrite a ten thousand word essay on dreams, discipline and honor?"

His eyes laughed as Cloud cringed at the thought of having to go through writing more essays for Sephiroth.

"You don't like writing essays, do you," the commander asked, "and running laps in the gym cannot be too enjoyable either. Especially when you have to do it each day?"

Cloud watched the commander guardedly as he pulled out the copy of the detention slip Sephiroth had given him. Just where exactly, he wondered, as Genesis signed his name with elegant cursive letters, was the 1st going with this? He saw no need for Genesis to stand there, reminding him that he owed Sephiroth, nor did he see a need for Genesis to lecture him about the consequences of failing to complete his assignments. He understood that people were frustrated with his behavior.

"Thank you for signing the paper, sir," Cloud said, hoping that Genesis would leave now. "I appreciate it."

Genesis nodded somberly in acknowledgment and slowly put the pen down as he thought about how he should word what he had come here to say to Cloud.

"I spoke with General Sephiroth after work ended," Genesis cautiously said, his eyes meeting Cloud's to see what kind of reaction the name and the news would produce. "We talked about you."

To Genesis' surprise, there was no reaction whatsoever and the boy's eyes were emotionless and distant, and that made him wonder. He had been all but certain that mention of a person who had caused him grief would elicit discomfort, reluctance to continue the conversation or curiosity about the things that said unpleasant person had said, but to his amazement, Cloud was composing himself as though he were a prisoner of war being interrogated by the enemy – neither betraying nor revealing a thing. Unsure what to make of this, he inched closer, thinking that perhaps his intimidating presence would put pressure on Cloud and the boy would crack. When that did not work and the cadet's face still remained unreadable, Genesis found himself balling up his fingers in frustration and wishing that he knew more about the boy, his feelings and the events that he had been through.

_You don't learn how to let things not affect you,_ Genesis thought, _unless you have experiences that make you become this way._

_What painful experiences have made you so impenetrable that your emotions are like a blank slate to read,_ he wondered, as the indifferent blue eyes gazing back at him reminded him of water under starlight at night that you can see from a distance, but whose depths you cannot penetrate until night turns to day and the bright sun, shining over the water, sharpens the image and you can see what is beneath the surface.

"I told the general that we sparred in the simulation room," Genesis said, "and we both agreed that you know quite a bit for a cadet."

He paused, catching what sounded like Cloud drawing in his breath and thinking that perhaps he saw the boy's wrists buckle slightly. Was he finally producing a reaction?

"We find it unusual," he immediately continued, deciding that he was not going to give Cloud the chance to regain his composure if his words were generating discomfort, "that you are so comfortable switching in and out of offensive and defensive stances, that you are able to gauge another person so quickly and that you have such strong situational awareness. Perhaps you would care to share how you learned to do these things?"

_This_ question was one that he had not been expecting and it was very unwelcome that Genesis had asked it.

"I read a lot, sir, and SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack tells me a few things and shows me some moves," Cloud said, starting to regret now that he had demonstrated that he knew so much.

He had been eager to push himself in the simulation room and to show that the commander should not rule him out as a candidate for SOLDIER, but he could see now that it had been reckless to show off so much all at once, because now here was Genesis demanding that he account for his experience.

"I just take what I read and what I hear and put it together in my mind," he went on, intentionally lowering his eyes, letting his cheeks flush and making his voice sound very embarrassed, "I can't really explain it…and Zack actively helps me."

Genesis snorted, incredulous that Cloud gave the Puppy so much credit. He was highly skeptical that the Puppy could have taught Cloud so much when the skills that the cadet had demonstrated in the simulation room were skills that SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack was horrible at. He did not see how Cloud could have turned out to be so good with Zack giving him bad advice and he also did not think that Angeal's Puppy was so stupid that he would try to act like a 1st in a mentoring role.

_If he is so cocky about his abilities that he thinks that he is good enough to play teacher, he truly is brain dead,_ Genesis thought.

"So everything you know you learned on your own, just from reading and from SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack?" Genesis asked. "No one else has been teaching you and this is the only military academy that you have been enrolled in?"

Cloud nodded reluctantly – that was correct, but oh how he wished that he could fabricate experiences to explain the prowess that he had shown earlier. He would follow through on the promise that he had made to himself not to lie to the people he was trying to save, but that did not mean he would not be beating himself over the head when he found himself cornered the way he was now and forced to explain himself. Sometimes being honorable could be a…

" _Honor can be a real burden sometimes,"_ he heard Angeal's voice chuckle in his head, as yet another one of Zack's memories surfaced.

_Don't I know it, Zack,_ Cloud thought, as Genesis circled around the study table.

Cloud tensed, sensing displeasure radiating from the commander. He waited silently as his eyes took in the 1st's balled up fists; churned up eyes fixed his way, yet staring beyond at the windowpane; and black ankle boots clattering across the wooden floor as Genesis took angry, commanding steps. He observed the hunched over shoulders and lips twisted into what bordered on a sneer and the white teeth champing.

It had been very unpleasant for him to have an angry general up in his face and he knew that having an angry commander was going to be far worse, because Genesis had taken things one step further than Sephiroth and made the effort to get to know him.

Finally, Genesis stopped pacing. He turned, sidled up to the work area, and reached out to snag a wooden chair. He dragged it up to the table and slowly sat down directly across from the wary boy. When he spoke to Cloud, he wanted to make sure that they were looking at each other eye to eye.

"I've been thinking about what you said," Genesis said in a far off tone of voice, "and what you told me makes the abilities that you have demonstrated all the more impressive to me." He folded his arms and leaned forward on them, drawing close to the boy. "Yet at the same time…it makes me feel even more bewildered about the trouble that you keep getting yourself – look at me!" he sharply said, irritated that Cloud was focusing on a disgusting picture of Professor Hojo posing with General Sephiroth. "You know better than to look away when an officer is speaking to you, Cadet Strife."

"I'm sorry, sir," Cloud said, realizing that Genesis was indeed irritated with him.

Cadet Strife looked up at Genesis, trying to maintain his indifferent and unreadable stare, but now it was far harder, for he was distressed that he had unintentionally upset the commander and he was quite certain he was not going to like where this conversation was headed. He had the feeling that Commander Rhapsodos was just not going to let this drop and that the redhead would keep interrogating him until he confessed that he was a nearly twenty-seven-year-old man in a child's body.

"I was…"

"You were embarrassed and do not want to discuss this issue," Genesis interrupted him. "You wish that I would go away or change the subject, but I am not going to do either, because this needs to be talked about. We need to address why someone who is as passionate about learning as you are, has such talent and says that he wants to be in SOLDIER keeps getting written up and squandering what they have. We need to talk about why you are _wasted talent._ "

Cloud started to say something to defend himself, then swallowed the words and just clamped his mouth shut when he heard the commander describe him as _wasted talent_. He was one of the thickest-skinned people on the entire Planet, but he could not say that the words Commander Rhapsodos had just used did not hurt, nor did he feel too good seeing how disappointed Genesis was with him.

"I am sure that you know what this is," Genesis coldly continued, holding up a pink slip of paper.

Yes, Cloud knew what it was – it was a detention slip.

"You are to take this detention slip to your drill sergeant when classes are out for the day," Genesis ordered him, "and inform him that you owe General Sephiroth and Commander Rhapsodos detention. After he has seen the detention slip, you are to change into clothes that are appropriate for an intense, rigorous workout, and…you are to report to Simulation Room 35 at five o'clock each day in lieu of going to serve your detentions in the gym. I will expect you to be ready and to be on time. There will be consequences for showing up late."

He watched as Cloud started to read what he had written and the boy's eyes grew huge.

"When you arrive," Genesis continued, "you are to be prepared to follow instructions, pay attention, work hard and give it your best. If you do not feel that you can deliver all four of the above, then I request that when you come to Simulation Room 35 you inform me, so that I may hand you a note informing your drill sergeant that you are to spend your detention running laps around the track after all."

Cloud looked up at Genesis, not sure what to say. It was incredible to him that Genesis had spoken to General Sephiroth and persuaded the swordsman to give him the option to serve his detention in the simulation room instead of in the gym with the drill sergeant, and it also made his stomach twist up in knots knowing that Genesis would be overseeing his detentions. While it would be a wonderful opportunity for him to absorb knowledge from the 1st and get ready for the entrance exams, it would also mean seeing a good deal of the commander and Cloud was highly uncomfortable with that idea.

And dealing with Genesis' personality...oh gods, that would be fun. Serving detention with Genesis would add yet another level of negativity to the extremely unenviable situation that he was in and it would be highly unpleasant for him to have to deal with the commander's bad attitude. If only it had been a person who was less prone to drama than Genesis offering him this alternative detention…

"I don't understand, sir," Cloud said, as he re-read the detention slip for the second time, still not believing what he was seeing. "Why do you want me to come to the Simulation Room? Why not have me run laps with a drill sergeant? Why is this…being offered?"

_Couldn't the boy see what he had been offered?_ Genesis felt a little exasperated that Cloud was questioning the arrangement. "This is an alternative to your original punishment, because having you run laps around the gym will not stimulate your mind," he curtly informed Cloud, wishing that the boy was not forcing him to explain himself and that this could just be a done deal. "Having you spend time in the simulation room, however, will be - look at me when I am talking to you, please."

He picked up a thick hardback book and brought it down heavily on the table to command Cloud's attention, and sure enough, the boy looked at him with cautious eyes that expressed surprise at the loud sound, but did not give any indication of what the child was thinking.

"Look at me when I am talking to you," he tersely repeated, already feeling very drained by all this. "I know that you are uncomfortable talking about this, but I must _absolutely_ insist that we have eye contact when we speak."

It was time to show Cloud just how much perfection he had demanded from the students who had burned him in the past, teach the boy how strict he was, and open his eyes as to how unpleasant these detention sessions were going to truly be.

"You are not serving detention with me now," Genesis firmly said, "but if you had been and I had repeatedly told you to keep eye contact with me and you kept turning away, I would assign you to do one hundred crunches. There are certain things that I expect, no exceptions, and eye contact at all times from the people I work with is one of the them." He lowered his voice, as he realized that he was starting to attract stares from the librarian and her aides. "You will never have to worry, though, Cadet Strife, about what the rules are," he reassured Cloud. "I am very explicit in explaining what I expect."

_I'm sure you are explicit,_ Cloud thought.

"Are we clear about how expectations are going to be?" Genesis asked.

Cloud nodded respectfully at the commander, but this acknowledgment did not mean that he intended to accept this arrangement.

"Now that we are clear on that," Genesis curtly said, finding it emotionally easier on himself if he came across as an asshole about this whole thing than if he proposed an idea he was uncomfortable with in a considerate way that would give Cloud some sense of free will in the relationship, "I expect you to follow the rules from this moment going forward. Do you have any other questions about the rules?"

_Yes, I am still wondering why you want this arrangement,_ Cloud wondered.

For a moment, he considered repeating the question that he had just asked Genesis, but he knew that it would do little good when the commander had chosen to ignore what he was really asking and decided to lecture him about making eye contact with him instead at all times. Asking the question again would just make irritate Genesis.

~*********~

"I see you have no other questions," Genesis concluded, once again not giving Cloud the chance to voice an opinion. "I will assume then that you understand."

_No, I do not understand the situation,_ Cloud wanted to tell the commander, but he did not say this out loud.

Instead, he turned to Genesis and said, "I'll be there," deciding that although he hated the alternate detention idea he would see it through and do his best to make it work.


	13. The Return of the First Sword

**Chapter Thirteen - The Return of the First Sword**

_Midgar - εуλ 0000_

Cloud stood in a phone booth, rehearsing what he would say to Tifa, as the sun rose over Midgar. He had decided to free Vincent, and knew that it would be no easy task to persuade her to carry out his plan. _There's a very strong chance that I'll lose her friendship over this,_ he gloomily thought, as Tifa picked up the phone and said, "Hello, Lockheart residence. May I ask who's calling please? I don't recognize the phone number that showed up on our Caller ID, and it's 7 AM in the morning. How may I help you?"

"By giving me a few minutes to talk to you if you're not too busy," Cloud replied. "I can call you back tomorrow if now's not good, it's just that the afternoon's gonna be rather hectic for me. I have class –" - _and my first day of detention with Genesis -_ "and homework."

He was met with a long, uncomfortable pause, and momentarily feared that she had hung up on him in disgust.

"I'm sorry about calling this early," he apologized. "I just -"

"You wanted to touch base with me cause we're friends," Tifa laughed kindly, "and that's okay. It is a little early, but don't worry about that this time. Nothing's really going on around here at the moment, and my dad doesn't want me to do anything yet for the day – all I'm really doing is waiting on him to finish cooking breakfast, so…let's talk. Tell me how your trip went and what life is like in Midgar. I want to hear how things are at the academy and hear about the adventures you've had – tell me everything."

Cloud heaved a sigh. He had no recollection of what the trip to Midgar had been like, and wished that she had asked him about something else. "The trip went well," he mumbled. "There were a lot of stops along the way, but it seemed like it went fast…and now everything is all set up – no luggage lost – and I have a – a good room," he said.

"Is it a single?" Tifa asked. "Or do you have to share with another person?"

"No, I don't have to share my room, and the courses aren't too bad,'" he stuttered. "I didn't really care for the _Promise of Shinra_ course," he admitted, "and I wasn't too fond of the _Breakthroughs in Science_ class, but…overall the classes are very good. I'm enjoying most of what I'm taking."

"You don't get to choose the courses you take?" Tifa questioned.

"No, you...don't have much say," Cloud said, adjusting his tone of voice so that he did not sound too sarcastic, "but I got a lot of the courses I would have wanted to take, so it is not too bad. I like most of the classes I am taking, and I like Midgar! It is a very fun city – there are no shortage of things to do – and I have met some great people. For example, there's this guy named Zack and we have become really good friends! You would like meeting him!"

"I'm sure I would," Tifa said, but in actuality, she was starting to feel rather unconvinced about the things that Cloud was saying, for the Cloud Strife that she had grown up with had never been this gregarious or optimistic, and had been an unassuming, analytical teenager who thoroughly thought things through and scrutinized people for long periods of time. And the person talking to her now was coming across as...

...a little _weird._

_~**********~_

Tifa continued to listen, deciding that if something was indeed wrong, Cloud would tell her. She was too polite to tell him that she was getting the impression that he was either trying really hard to impress her with his new life in Midgar or that his happy tone of voice concealed the fact that something much more serious was going on. She suspected the second of the two, for life at a military academy was rough and stressful.

"Have you had any adventures?" Tifa asked, hoping that Cloud was not in over his head. "Do they take you on adventures as part of your training for the -" She hesitated, not sure what to call the advanced military program that Cloud had been very excited about joining. "The Program," she said.

"No, Shinra doesn't allow cadets to go on missions," Cloud said, deciding that this question that she had asked him would be a good way to lead into what would be an eye-opening conversation, "but I have had other adventures that...haven't been good."

"What do you mean?" she wanted to know. "Explain."

"Yeah, Tifa - just give me a moment."

~******~

Cloud furtively looked around him, making sure that no one was nearby, and lowered his voice. He intentionally changed his tone and modified his pitch so that for the next part he would sound vulnerable, confused and a bit frightened by things that he was not supposed to know about and did not totally understand _._ Carefully choosing his words, he began to describe how he had learned things about the company that shocked him and had discovered secrets that were making him question whether he wanted to be a part of SOLDIER after all.

"It's been so confusing," he confessed at last, "coming here and finding out what goes on around here. You see - there's a scientist named Professor Hojo who oversees nearly everything, including business in SOLDIER."

He gave Tifa a moment to take in the name and her cough on the other end said that she did not think well of him – given that Hojo had been responsible for polluting the environment and destroying the Nibelheim trail, it did not surprise him that she disliked him.

"It turns out that he's heavily involved in SOLDIER," Cloud continued, "and he performs tests on people and these are not good tests either. He does some messed up things, like seeing how much pain SOLDIERS can endure and forcing them to take all kinds of crap that is not good for them because he is, well, their doctor and what he says goes. He's not a good man."

"He doesn't sound nice," Tifa grimly said.

"The tests he performs on SOLDIERS are bad," Cloud said, suddenly sounding very stressed and upset, "and the stuff he's done on normal people is flat out wrong."

"He experiments on people like us?" Tifa was incredulous that Shinra would allow Doctor Hojo to do something so awful.

"Yeah, he does," Cloud said. "He had a falling out with his friend, Vincent Valentine, so he locked him up and performed some experiments on him. And when he got the results he wanted, he sealed him away in the basement of the Shinra mansion by..."

Tifa gasped.

"The mansion out here?" she whispered, once again feeling uncomfortable about the big foreboding building at the top of the hill that she had never particularly enjoyed living in the shadow of, because the people who went in and out of the mansion had always felt so distant, aloof and secretive – as though they had something to hide. "The one in our town?"

Yes, the one in their town.

"I don't understand!" Tifa murmured uneasily, "If Mr. Valentine and Professor Hojo had a falling out, why didn't they just fire Mr. Valentine? Why did they lock him up? And why would Shinra condone something like that? You told me that they protected people and that they looked out for everyone? I don't…understand..."

~*********~

Tifa listened closely as Cloud described how he realized that he had been mistaken about Shinra and that he realized now that they were a greedy company that was interested in establishing a monopoly over mako energy and the elite military force that he thought protected the people was in actuality sent out to enforce compliance from the people Shinra dealt with. As he spoke, she paid attention to his pattern of speech, the flow of his words, and changes in his tone and tempo. She scrutinized everything that he said, looking for attempts to change the subject, evasive answers that did not provide explicit details, reluctance to answer questions and hostile language. She checked to see if he was using tricks to generate confusion, such as repeating questions, rephrasing answers or using language that she would not understand and was unnerved to find that Cloud Strife was using none of the tactics that the kids who had lied to her in the past had used. Not that she would expect her friend to lie, but this sounded so incredible…

Unlike the people who had betrayed her trust, Cloud was speaking very directly to her, was not trying to throw her off-topic when she asked him difficult questions, and was speaking in a very relaxed manner. There were no long pauses, stutters or awkward shifts in shifts in intonation, and he did not seem at all angry when she suggested that what went on in the Shinra mansion was none of his business and that he should just let the matter drop. His reaction stunned her, for a liar would have gotten very defensive about being challenged and told to let the matter go.

~********~

"I think," Cloud speculated, "that Hojo was worried that Mr. Valentine knew too much. My understanding is that they worked on several sensitive projects together…and I think that Professor Hojo feared that Mr. Valentine would try to get back at him by telling everyone what he knew."

He tried to keep his voice level and steady as he wondered what Doctor Hojo had done to Lucrecia Crescent when he decided that she also "knew too much"– surely it had to have been worse than the torture and the experiments the gunman had experienced.

"I think Professor Hojo told the company that Mr. Valentine was a threat to security," he quickly said. "I think that is why they decided it would be better to lock Mr. Valentine up than let him just walk away."

That…explanation made sense to her....she supposed….

"How did you find out about this?" she asked, finding it very disconcerting that he claimed he knew so much about an embarrassing matter she doubted the Shinra staff discussed with cadets.

"I stumbled across Mr. Valentine when I was exploring the mansion one day," Cloud said in reply, hoping that she would not ask him _when_ this had occurred because he was referring to the time that he discovered Vincent when Sephiroth had been preparing to bring down Meteor, "and it made me wonder what a man was doing down there. I tried to find out who he was and I learned a few things…"

"Such as?" Tifa demanded, taken aback that her quiet, withdrawn friend was claiming that he had gone sneaking around the Shinra mansion and that he had eluded the security guards who were always on patrol. "What did you find out about him?"

"He's a former Turk and a marksman," Cloud said, "and he has a very strong stand on moral issues. When he started to see what Hojo was like, he started to object to the kinds of research that they were doing – eventually he became very opposed to the idea of using human experiments and Hojo didn't like that at all. Mr. Valentine is…"

He took a deep breath and it sounded to Tifa as though he was on the verge of confessing something very painful to her or if he had just had a realization that he was struggling to come to terms with.

"Hojo put away a good man," Cloud said at last, with more emotion and feeling than Tifa had ever heard from him, "and it makes me very mad what he did to him. It's _not right_ and…Tifa…I want to go in there and free him. It wouldn't feel right to me to let him – to let him suffer."

Tifa gasped. Nothing he could have said could have stunned her more, and for a moment she did not know what to think. It was incredible to her that Cloud, who had been so passionate about wanting to become a hero and who had proclaimed with every ounce of his being that he would make it into the Program so he protect her if she was ever in a bind, was saying that he was willing to take a chance that would jeopardize his dream. If he truly meant what he said about freeing Vincent and followed through on it, then he would become a traitor and it would be unconscionable for him to pursue a career with Shinra, as well as dangerous. Even hearing him speak of rescuing Mr. Valentine freaked her out, because some people would consider even thinking such thoughts to be a betrayal of trust.

"Cloud," she murmured at last, "you could ruin your life if you do this…even saying these things…"

"I know," Cloud said, with such fierce determination that she thought of how he had…reached out to catch her when they had been very young children and she had had the accident on the Nibelheim trail that had caused her father to hate the Strife family, "and after learning these things, it's made me think hard about how I see Shinra. I don't see it anymore as a place that creates heroes, but a place that makes people think about what is right and what is wrong, so that they – gain the strength to do the right thing and I realize now – that's what being a hero is..."

"So you plan on coming back to Nibelheim?" Tifa asked with confusion. "You're going to quit school and…"

"No," Cloud said, dismayed that she sounded so confused and upset. "I'm not going to quit school – I plan on staying here and taking the exams and…I want to make SOLDIER," he said with such confidence and conviction that Sephiroth himself would have been impressed, "even though what I want to do for Mr. Valentine goes against Shinra. I realize that it is confusing that I would want to be in SOLDIER when I am thinking such things, but – Tifa, I don't want to join SOLDIER so I can become a hero or protect Shinra's interests. I want to be part of Shinra now, because I've seen what they are like, and I know that I can be a different kind of SOLDIER who is working to make change from within. That is…that is how I can make a difference to everyone – and that is how I can keep the promise that I made to you."

~************~

On the other end of the line, Tifa paced about her room as she contemplated his words.

The powerful language and the extremely confident tone of voice that he was using felt so surreal to her, and yet she did not feel horrified by either of the two, because it had been her hope when they had met at the water tower and he had promised her that he would become a hero that he would someday realize that he was strong, intelligent and confident. Where people like her father had seen a skittish, weak-willed little boy who tried to push his responsibilities on other people, because he was too afraid to try and petulantly insisted that he was "not up to the task," she had seen someone who had the potential to be a decisive and brave leader, but who just had not realized he had the strength within him. When he had started watching TV, become obsessed with the war hero, Sephiroth, and then shortly afterwards announced that he planned on leaving for Midgar, she had felt hopeful, believing that perhaps his new life at the military would give him the push that he needed to unlock his potential – and it appeared that the experience had indeed given him a boost in courage.

Seeing how strong he had become made her very relieved and happy for him, but –

 _I didn't expect him to want to break people out of prison,_ she thought – happy that he had become so strong, but disturbed by his intentions.

 _And I don't know what to make of the things he's saying about Vincent! If he is misinterpreting information that he found out about Mr. Valentine and there is nothing wrong and he tries to do something drastic, he will be expelled from the academy and put in prison,_ she rationalized, _and his life will be ruined – but if what he says is true and Shinra really is doing these terrible things.._.

~*********~

Tifa shuddered, realizing that if Shinra was indeed experimenting on human beings against their will and Cloud was insisting on working for the company, anyway, to try to make a difference…that he was going to be in the thick of a very bad situation that could cost him dearly. She wanted him to be brave – but did not want to see him pay the price. "Have you thought about what you would be getting into if you do that?" she asked, feeling quite conflicted at the moment. "Why not just go to the police?" she wondered. "I have faith in you, but this sounds really bad…"

"Because the police are on the Shinra payroll," he said, and she could tell from the tone of his voice that his mind was made up and his decision was final. "I couldn't go to them. This is something that I – _we_ – need to do."

_Wait a moment…"we?"_

"I cannot get back to Nibelheim for a few more months," Cloud said. "I do not have the funds – or I would return at once, go into the mansion and get Mr. Valentine out of there myself."

He cringed as silence descended on the other end of the line. He was all but certain she knew what he was about to ask her.

"You want me to go into the mansion," she said in a very guarded voice after nearly a minute of silence, "locate Mr. Valentine, free him and then have him contact you, right? Cloud, I don't know what to…"

She trailed off, letting her incomplete sentence be the sum of the conflict, disbelief, concern and reluctance that she was feeling. Sometimes, she had learned, it was better to let silence speak for one's feelings than to try to describe how bewildered or upset one felt.

"You don't have to do this," Cloud told her, knowing that going into the mansion had been a lot to ask. "If you are not comfortable with the idea, I understand, and when I can get back out here, I will go into the mansion and free Vincent myself, but if I have to wait until the exams are over, it would be much harder to get into the mansion, because everyone would be back. When everyone is worrying about the exams, the mansion is essentially empty and –"

He broke off, thinking of that cold, lonely night that he had spent under the shelter of the _Highwind_ as the battle in the Northern Crater had loomed ominously ahead, and how she had come to him and been there for him when he needed a friend the most.

"I promised that I would come help you if you were ever in a bind," he kindly said, as he hastily stuffed more coins into the pay phone to prevent his time from running out, "and I intend to keep that promise to you – but I'm not the only one who can be strong and brave, Tifa. You also can be a hero and if you are willing to do this, you would be one.

"You don't have to be a hero if you don't want to, but if you would help him, it would mean a lot to me and it would mean a lot to him, because…each day that I'm waiting to return to Nibelheim is another day that he spends in the mansion suffering and…"

Cloud stared intently at the walls of the phone booth, looking at them as though he were looking into her eyes.

"The place where Mr. Valentine is being kept is very bad," he said. "He has no contact with other human beings and he is locked up in a room that is like a crypt. This is where he is forced to live and sleep. It is a funereal home down there. No one should have to live in such inhuman conditions…"

 _No, no one should,_ Tifa agreed, finding it reprehensible what they were doing to Mr. Valentine. Even homeless people who lived on the streets lived in better conditions.

"If I do this," she said, starting to feel the same sympathy that Cloud felt for this man who had been wronged by Shinra, "what do I need to know? How do I get to him?"

Cloud tried to visualize the layout of the mansion. "The key to Mr. Valentine's cell is in a safe upstairs," he said. "The combination to the vault is Right 36-Left 10-Right 59-Right 97…and when you open the safe upstairs, you need to be careful. Don't let anyone see you."

"I won't," Tifa promised, as her compassion and empathy won out over her reservations about this plan. "What else should I know?"

"If the combination has been changed and you cannot get into the safe, go downstairs, but be careful. There are monsters downstairs in the basement," Cloud said, as Zack's memory of racing around the basement played through his head. "The monsters pick up items and horde them. If you can get a key away from a monster, it may be the key that you are looking for – but fighting the monsters can be dangerous. You can get mobbed."

"I won't get mobbed," she said determinedly, confident that she would be able to defeat the monsters in the basement, because she had been practicing a lot since he had left for Midgar. "I've split monsters before when they have come down the mountain to raid Dad's garden and I have some moves that will get me out of a jam. I can use my Beat Rush and Somersault attacks and…I'm learning how to use Water Kick. I can take care of myself."

Then she thought of something that he had not explained. "If I find the key, what am I supposed to say to Mr. Valentine?" she wondered. "And where do you want him to go? I can't harbor him at my house, Cloud."

Cloud thought quickly. "Tell him that I am a friend who wants to talk to him about Lucrecia, the baby and Jenova," he said, trying to recall the exact words that he had used to rouse Vincent from his slumber last time, "and – Tifa, it is very important, especially if he seems alarmed by you, to tell him to have Chaos stand down."

_Tell Chaos to stand down…what on earth did that mean?_

"Chaos?" she asked, deciding that she would investigate the mansion that afternoon.

"A bodyguard who is very protective of him," Cloud said. "A monster. Someone who is bad news – but if you tell him to have Chaos stand down, you won't have to worry about his bodyguard…" For her sake – he hoped not. "Mr. Valentine has individuals who look after him and who are very upset if he is treated –"

He punched his fist against the door as he realized that his time was about to expire any minute now and that he had run out of coins.

"Tifa," he hurriedly said, knowing that he could no longer afford to waste words and every word had to count, "once you've freed him, tell Mr. Valentine that he should take a room at the inn. The rooms are very private, no one really takes notice of other people around there, and I will call and ask for…for 'Mr. Ross.' That is how we can get in touch with each other and if you do this, please e-mail me after it's done to let me know that – my e-mail address …"

 _Click._ The line went dead.

Cloud slammed his fist into the palm of his other hand with frustration, but he had a feeling, even as fist met palm, that his call had been successful. She would not have talked about defending herself or asked such detailed questions if she had not made up her mind to follow through with this.

All he could now was wait it out and see. It was up to her now.

Aeris stood in a run-down alley, patiently watching her friend, Cloud, talk on the phone. With Tseng and his red-haired assistant prowling up and down the block, wondering why she had gone missing from the Church, she could not afford to stand in the open waiting for her friend to look up and eventually notice her. If the Turks were to locate her and see her trying to attract Cloud's attention, then Tseng would put him under surveillance as a "person of interest to the Ancient" and it would become twice as difficult for Cloud to set things straight. Under no circumstances could she let that happen.

As Tseng passed by for the tenth time, Aeris reached out to grab the giant sword that she had dragged into the alley with her and precariously propped against the dumper. Her fingers quickly closed around the hilt of the weapon as she attempted to steady it and prevent it from falling over and making a loud noise that would alert Tseng and Cissnei to her presence. Cradling the unwieldy sword awkwardly between her arms like she was holding a baby, she knelt and with some difficulty lowered the weapon and placed it on the ground.

Better to have it lie in the dirt, she decided, than to risk leaving it the way that it was. The Odin materia and the other items that she had found inside the sword and removed, however, could stay in the leather purse strung over her shoulder. There was no need to put those items on the ground.

~********~

The pretty Cetra sighed as she surveyed the damage that had been done to Cloud's beloved First Tsurugi sword. The First Sword had taken quite a beating traveling back through time to return to its master, and it would take a considerable amount of work before the sword was functional again.

First Tsurugi looked like it had taken a tour of the Lifestream and submerged itself in the deepest pool of energy that it could find, for there were deposits of crystallized mako coating the blade. These crystal deposits on the blade were extremely thick and would require a powerful hammer to crack and strong fingers to pry away, and small, intricate tools would be needed to get the crystals out from the gears and the release mechanism. Until the release mechanism and the shell could be scraped out, Cloud would be unable to dismantle his sword, and if he chose to use it while repairs were being done, he would once again have to fight with it in its clunky, fully assembled state, which she worried would not go well for him. She had observed how he had fought with the sword when it had been damaged in the past and knew that he did not fight as well as he normally when he did not have a fully functional release system and working auxiliary blades.

 _I did what I could, Cloud,_ Aeris apologized, ducking as Cissnei passed by, _but I'm afraid that I was not much help._

She had tried to repair the renowned sword, but the damage had been too severe for a person who was unskilled at working with weapons to repair, and the presence of Tseng and his friends had also prevented her from making a serious effort to fix the First Sword. Every time that she had tried to remove the sword from its hiding place so that she could work on it, a Turk had either been peering through a window spying on her or had asked to come inside and talk about their faith for half the day. Putting up curtains had not been an option, because the curtains would have aroused Tseng's suspicions, nor had kicking the spies out of the Church been something that she could do when the Church was a public building and they had every right to come in and worship their gods. Thanks to their interference, First Tsurugi had had to lie where she had found it – buried in the flower bed in the Church.

~***********~

 _I feel very fortunate that Tseng was distracted when Cloud showed up,_ Aeris thought, as she retreated further into the alley. _If the kid who steals everyone's wallets had not tried to pickpocket him, I never would have been able to retrieve First Tsurugi and get it out the back door._

She felt sorry for the pickpocket, though, who had been arm grappled by Cissnei, cuffed and put in the back of Tseng's sedan until they finished their search and located her.

 _I hope that Cloud does not take much longer,_ she prayed, _because I want to help the kid out. It's not fair to him to spend his entire afternoon cuffed to the car while the Turks look for me and I wish to speak to Tseng about the boy. If I can make Tseng understand that he tried to steal from him because he has a sick mother in need of medicine, he may be willing to forgive him for trying to steal his wallet._

_Well, I hope he will…_

_Come on, Cloud,_ Aeris thought.

She stuck her head around the corner and saw that he was slamming his fist against the glass walls of the phone booth. As she watched him wring his hands in exasperation, she wondered if it would not be long now before he came out. She had no idea what was going on inside the booth, but it looked to her as though the person on the other end of the line had either pissed him off enough to make him want to hang up on them or he had run out of money and the phone line was about to go dead any minute. She predicted that it was the latter of the two, because the Cloud she knew was someone who tried not to chew other people out to their faces unless they were doing something absolutely hideous like…well…trying to summon Meteor and annihilate the entire Planet, and she highly doubted that the person on the line was doing something that bad.

 _I wonder if he is talking to Reno,_ she wondered, as his shoulders bunched up and he crossed his arms. Reno was obnoxious enough to drive anyone crazy and make them want to hang up the phone.

_~**********~_

"Any luck, Cissnei?" Aeris heard Tseng ask.

"No, I still have not found anything," the tall red-headed woman said, "and I've combed three blocks now looking for her. Shall I head back inside the Church?"

"Yes, Cissnei," the head of the Turks said, "I think that that would be a good idea. Go inside and look around – and check the washroom. She may have gone inside to freshen up or have gone out a side door that we do not know about."

He turned and headed back towards his sedan, continuing to give instructions as he walked side by side with his assistant.

"Basically, look everywhere – and while you do that, I am going to head down to the market and see if she hasn't gone shopping or decided to sell her flowers. If anything turns up, I will call you on your cell phone – otherwise, let's meet back here in forty-five minutes."

"Check the park and the railway station?" Cissnei inquired.

Tseng started to say something, but the pickpocket whom he had apprehended leaned out the door that he had just opened and hissed at him, saying something very bad. Cissnei was forced to wait for his answer as the unimpressed man took the time to push the boy back inside the car, roll up the windows and shut the car doors.

"What a very rude boy," Aeris heard Tseng say. "You were saying?"

"After I check out the Church, do you want me to check the park and the railway station, or do you plan on checking those places while you drive around?" Cissnei repeated.

Tseng took a moment to consider the question. "I will check both places," he informed Cissnei, "but I doubt that she will be in either spot. She is not fond of the park, because it gets too crowded and noisy for her, and I have only seen her down at the train station once in all the time that I have known her."

"If you find the girl," Tseng cautioned his assistant, before he drove away, "remember not to say or do anything to alarm her. It took you a long time to cultivate her trust and I don't want to damage that. If you lose her trust, I will have to bring in another person to keep surveillance on her and they may not be able to establish the trust with her that you have at the moment."

_~**********~_

Aeris waited until she could no longer hear the sound of Tseng's car before she left the alley. Once she was certain the Turk was gone, she stepped out into the street and used sweeping, exaggerated hand motions to catch Cloud's eye as he left the phone booth.

He recognized her right away and waved back at her, and she returned his greeting by gesturing for him to follow her.

"It's good to see you," he said with relief, as he padded after her into the alley. "How have you been? Is everything all -"

He frowned as the woman he recognized from the _Promise of Shinra_ course strolled on past.

"The Turks are here," he worriedly said. "Are they after you?"

He pulled her close, protectively wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

"Do you want me to mislead that lady and get her to leave?"

Aeris shook her head. "No," she whispered, leaning into him. "Don't do anything – I'm fine. Tseng is monitoring me again, but he is not trying to bring me to Professor Hojo. If they were I –" She did not want to worry him with such unpleasant possibilities, but this needed to be said. "If the situation ever changes with Tseng or if Hojo finds out where I am and comes for me, head to Gongaga…" she said. "There's a family there who will help."

Cloud winced at her words. "Things will not get so bad that I have to get help from Gongaga," he replied. "You will...wait," he murmured, as she placed something bulky, red and round, placed in his hand."You – found Odin…but how? I thought that it was…"

_Lost._

"It turned up in the flower bed," Aeris said, smiling at his surprise. "And so did an old friend, but I'm afraid that the old friend is not feeling well."

She took his hand and guided him behind the dumpster so he could see that First Sword had also been sent back by the Planet.

"Odin made it through the Lifestream in one piece," she continued, "but First Tsurugi unfortunately did not make it here in such good condition. It should be usable again after you repair the damage, but – it will take a lot of work. There was a lot of damage."

Cloud nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. The damage was bad, but he did not feel too upset about the demanding repair job that awaited him when he was beyond happy to have his blade returned to him. First Tsurugi had been like an extension of himself and thinking that he had lost it forever when the Planet had claimed him had been extremely hard on him. Being able to see, hold and wield his sword again made him giddy and dizzy, even though the sword looked like it was covered head to toe in blue fossilized shit.

"Thank you, Aeris," he said, as he slid open the dumpster and started to pull out trash bags that he could wrap his sword in. "I am very glad that you found it."

"I have some other things for you, too," Aeris said, removing a folder that she had concealed. She held the manila folder open for him as he read the first few paragraphs of the documents that she had found and his eyes bugged out. "I thought that these might help you."

"Where did you find these?" he murmured, his mind still not believing that she was holding an authentic, notarized copy of Sephiroth's birth certificate and that she was also providing him with a report written by Professor Gast that confirmed that DNA from Gillian Hewley had been injected into Genesis.

"How did you…"

He skimmed the report again, shocked by a paragraph that described how Genesis had been handed over to the landowner of Banora village when the science department had made the decision that it did not want to be responsible for raising a baby who was turning out to be a 'failure.'

"When my mother died," Aeris somberly said, "she gave my adopted mother papers that had belonged to my father and these were two of the documents. There are others in the safe in my adopted mother's house, but –"

She held out the key to the safe in case he ever needed to retrieve the other papers.

"– I think that these will be the most useful," she said, "and the least upsetting to them. The other papers in the safe were difficult to read, because they…express my father's concerns about the experiments that Professor Hojo was performing on Sephiroth when he was less than a year old," she sadly said. "My father was shocked that his colleague would treat an infant so badly and try to determine what their pain tolerance was. I don't think the general would want to read about that."

"No, he wouldn't," Cloud agreed, as he finished wrapping First Tsurugi up in trash bags and struggled to pick up the mummified sword. "It's going to be bad enough when he reads his birth certificate and realizes that Lucrecia Crescent and not Jenova is his birth – Aeris, do you think that the birth certificate is going to be enough? It's credible...but it's missing some important information that normally is included on birth certificates..such as who his father is..."

The look she gave him told him that he would need more than just the documents that she had found.

"Okay, let's keep looking," he whispered, feeling that they were getting very close. "We must find a way to prevent the Nibelheim Incident."


	14. Coming Undone

**Chapter Fourteen - Coming Undone**

_Midgar - εуλ 0000_

Cloud spent the rest of his afternoon in suspense, worried that the nosy resident assistant who lived on his floor and the housing director would decide to conduct the room inspection that they always did at the end of the month. It drove him crazy to sit through class knowing that the sensitive documents that he had hidden in a drawer could easily be picked up by the staffers if they decided to search his dorm, and the thought of them finding Odin also freaked him out. He knew from past unpleasant experiences with them that the folks who worked for the housing department were not the brightest people in the world and it was easy for him to imagine them clueless picking up the orb that housed one of the world's most powerful Summoned creatures, saying, "Oooh – materia!" and deciding to play around with it. While it was highly unlikely that any of the staffers would be able to do anything with the dangerous materia, there was always a 1% chance that someone would get unlucky, and Odin would be released and run amuck in the headquarters building. Apologizing to General Sephiroth after his Summon had destroyed the building would be…

 _An absolutely hideous experience,_ Cloud now humorlessly thought. _It would be worse than having to write another essay on hair care products,_ as he let himself inside and checked the spot where he had hidden the Summon.

To his relief, the obnoxiously hard to hide, brightly-colored materia orb was still concealed in the washcloth that he had wrapped around it, the folder that Aeris had given him remained sealed, and the sword that he planned on repairing and dueling Genesis with remained -

" _Shit!"_ Cloud whispered, remembering that he had a detention to serve. "Shit shit shit."

He swore again, realizing that he had only five minutes left to get to detention. And he swore a third time, knowing that because it was so late, there would be no time to drink anything, no time to run down to Sergeant Jackson's office and give him the commander's instructions, and no time to eat anything substantial beforehand. He would show up for detention looking and feeling very…

 _Unprepared, I'm so unprepared,_ Cloud gloomily told himself. _I'm going to walk in there, it's going to be obvious to him that I've mismanaged my time, and he's going to blow his top._

 _I would not be the least bit surprised if he wasn't warming up the Cactuar simulation now for me,_ Cloud mentally winced. _I am going to get chewed out, have my head ripped off and put on backwards!_ he fretted.

He gathered up his things and raced out the door. In his rush to get to detention on time, the washcloth containing the Odin materia accidentally went into his duffel bag.

The people who lived next door to him gaped at him as he thundered through the hall and made a beeline for the stairs.

"Sorry, no time to be polite," he panted, all but certain Genesis was going to skin him alive.

Genesis, it turned out, did not feeling like skinning him alive. But he did do the next best thing - which was assign him to do a ridiculous number of sit-ups.

As soon as he walked into the room, Genesis pointed to the blue padded mat in the corner and said, "The rules were very clearly explained last night, and yet you have already failed to follow them. It is disappointing to me that you did not speak with your drill instructor, who I just finished explaining the situation to when you walked in just now, and that you were not here at four-thirty getting warmed up. I should have come in here and seen you exercising, not doing...whatever it was you were doing. Get down on the floor now and give me as many sit-ups as you can do in two minutes. I expect as close to sixty as possible."

As close to sixty in two minutes!

Was Genesis serious?

Yes, the asinine commander's tone of voice indicated that Genesis was deadly serious about it, and Cloud was none too thrilled about having to do sixty sit-ups. Because he was committed to demonstrating to Sephiroth and his confidant that he was serious about SOLDIER, he was going to do the sit-ups without complaint, but this negative experience with the sit-ups was making him question Commander Rhapsodos' sense of fairness. It did not feel very fair to him that Genesis was punishing him when he had not explicitly explained what his expectations were with warm ups – being punished for not stopping by Sergeant Jackson's he could agree with, but being punished for not being in the simulation room a half hour early made him feel bleh.

"You act as though you expect me to read your mind," Cloud protested from the mat, "and to do things that you don't say aloud. How can I -"

"When you have proven that you are worthy of my trust, I will give you straight answers," Genesis sneered. "Until then, expect to be treated like a pariah," he said.

Cloud sighed. "I'll do my best to prove I can be trusted," he stammered.

Genesis unzipped Cloud's duffel bag and examined it, checking to see how prepared the boy was. His eyes were drawn to a hooded sweatshirt that he had seen Zack Fair wearing the other day, and as he rolled his eyes at it, he said, "The majority of people cannot be trusted. They either have bad intentions or they are too emotionally immature to be counted on. Or…handle the level of trust that you have given them. Nothing...

_...hurts more than placing yourself in the hands of someone who you think means well and is open-minded enough to see you for who you really are, and then waking up and finding yourself burned because they really couldn't deal with you after all. I would know…because I've experienced it time and time..._

"What is that?" he whispered, as a flicker of movement behind the viewing window caught his eye.

~**************~

Genesis looked up, cautiously staring at the observatory window that loomed twelve feet above his head. He moved around to a spot where there was minimal glare and squinted, trying to make out if there was a black shape moving about the room, but to his disappointment, his keen mako-enhanced eyes were unable to detect what was going on up there. Not being able to determine if there was a person inside the room was rather irritating, but given that the general had insisted on monitoring the first day of this alternative detention or else, he would not be the least bit surprised if the shadow that he thought he had seen belonged to Sephiroth. General Sephiroth was a master at blending into almost any surrounding and he had made it clear that he was going to be so stealthy that not even his second in command would know when he arrived.

 _How long has he been up there?_ Genesis asked himself. _Is he even up there?_

Genesis was not sure and he was not about to High Jump up to the platform, press his nose against the window and peer inside the room. The last thing that he wanted, when he was already feeling very awkward about instructing Cloud, was to make himself feel even stupider, and he knew that he would hate himself all day if his face ended up smushed up against the glass.

 _Another reason I refuse to do something so idiotic,_ he scathingly thought, _is because I don't want to give Sephiroth an up-close view of me behaving in a manner that does not become one of the most powerful SOLDIERs in Shinra. He's already seen enough candid, stupid Genesis moments to last a lifetime! I don't need to give him another moment to add to his collection and…_

Then it dawned on him that he did not need to press his face against the glass to give Sephiroth another moment to add to his collection when this detention session _was_ worth several hundred stupid and candid moments.

For the next ninety minutes, the general was going to get the pleasure of seeing him do things that would be far more embarrassing, and knowing how Sephiroth operated, the general would not let him live it down either. The next time that he got together with his friends outside work hours, Genesis expected to hear Sephiroth make a big deal out of how he had encouraged Cloud, enthusiastically lectured the boy on dreams, pride, discipline and honor as though he were a follower of Angeal, and praised the cadet when he did something right on the other hand. It would be intolerable to listen and he would have to make a big fuss again to convince First Sergeant Hewley that the general was mistaken, he was not about to mellow out and he was still the Certified Bonafide Asshole that they somehow managed to put up with.

~***********~

 _Yes,_ Genesis thought, it was indeed a wonder that Sephiroth had befriended him.

And an even bigger wonder that he could be himself around him.

 _I've known you for over six years,_ Genesis mused, as he continued to search for the elusive silhouette behind the glass, _and it took me two of those years that we've been friends before I took Angeal's advice and decided to show you my true nature. It was very hard for me to..._

_...stop being the charming, eager to please landowner's son..._

_...bring myself to take a chance with you.._

_...and...let you see how cruel I can..._

"NINETY-ONE! NINETY-TWO! NINETY-THREE!"

_~*********~_

The sound of Cloud's voice snapped Genesis out of it.

The commander started, feeling very irritated. The purpose of coming here, the 1st reminded himself, was to help Cloud Strife improve himself, get ready for the exams and to demonstrate that he was someone who took his schoolwork seriously. Their five o'clock session was not intended to be ninety-minutes of nothing but mindless sit-ups, nor was it supposed to be a melodrama acted out for Sephiroth's entertainment. If the general wanted to see a badly performed disease of the week flick where people acted emotional, wrung their hands and wallowed in self-pity, he could go to the movie theaters, because from this moment going forward, Commander Rhapsodos meant business and Cloud Strife was going to show both 1sts just how hard he could work. With this thought in mind, Genesis went to retrieve his sword.

"You can stop doing sit-ups," the commander barked, as his fingers closed around the hilt of Rapier. "Get up, grab a sword and come over here. You're done."

 _And I'm done thinking about how amazing it is my friends trust me,_ Genesis promised himself as he sauntered over to Cloud and said, "I hope that you are prepared to give me your best."

"Commander?" Cloud asked, sensing that something was wrong. "I have my sword, should I…?"

"I'm ready," Genesis said, "and I hope that you are also. I'm going to build on what you already know and teach you some new things."

"I am ready," Cloud said, unaware that he was being observed.

"Slow down," the commander snarled, thinking that Cloud was getting ahead of himself. "We are not sparring the way that we did yesterday…hold on, one second."

He whispered to his Rapier and the runes of the sword began to spark with pale red-white fire.

Cloud looked at him guardedly.

"As you can see, I have materia loaded in my sword," Genesis smugly continued, "and I intend to practice with it. We are doing things a bit differently and today it is my intention to use my materia and my attacks to teach you how to have better reaction time."

His words stunned Cloud, who had been expecting Genesis to come up with some very unpleasant work outs that would hand him his ass, but who had not anticipated the commander to want to throw fireballs and phantasmal swords at him. Where on earth was Genesis' sense of fairness?

Genesis smirked, amused by Cloud's reaction. "Don't worry, Cloud," he mockingly said. "Contrary to what your foolish friend may have told you, I did not lure you down here to kill you. I'm not that big of a monster, but –" He waved his arm, calling the boy's attention to a test dummy that he had wheeled into the corner and had obnoxiously dressed up in a uniform that resembled…

 _The uniform that Zack was wearing just the other day in the elevator,_ Cloud felt very disgusted. _What a jerk._

"It is not beneath me to do terrible things to dummies," the commander continued, ignoring the reaction that the dummy had elicited from Cloud as he made a fist, raised his hand and began to summon a Blizzaga ice crystal into existence.

Cloud tensed, but the icicle was not intended for him.

"Pay close attention," Genesis ordered the boy, as he thrust his arm back and then hurled the icicle at the dummy, "for I am only going to do each move once and I am going to be doing my moves very quickly. Take note of how long it takes me to charge up my materia and attacks, what hand gestures I use, how my lips move, how I reposition myself to do critical damage and what distance I place between myself and my target. Fail to take note of everything or take in misinformation and I will turn on the digital infantryman simulation program that gave Zackary such a hard time and I will let the infantryman teach you the lesson instead, got it?"

Yes, Cloud nodded, the instructions were crystal clear. Or at least he thought they were.

It soon became clear to Cloud that Genesis intended to mess with his head, for after electrocuting the dummy with Hell Thundaga and toasting it with Energy materia, Sephiroth's confidant started to summon another ice crystal, canceled the move mid-summon to throw him off-guard and casted Tri-Fire instead, rapidly pummeling "Zack" with several hard-hitting fireballs. As three more fireballs barreled towards "Zack," Genesis surprised him again by quickly snatching up his Rapier sword, pointing it at a horizontal angle at the corner and willing the deadly phantasmal blades to materialize around the dummy. Cloud was taken aback as swords and fireballs bore down and Genesis, sensing that his student was bewildered, decided to wrap up the demonstration by carefully timing how he casted Black Flurry and Dark Energy so that the projectiles hit the dummy at the same time and the attacks overlapped each other.

Cloud's jaw dropped open as the dummy was brutally skewered by a ghost sword, slammed into the wall by crackling black spheres and impaled by sharp black feathers in under forty-five seconds. The 1st's speed and power was astonishing to him and he had not expected Genesis to use those moves when the commander had told him to stay outside the room the other day when projectiles were flying around.

 _He has a single, unmoving target today, though,_ Cloud mused, _and can concentrate which direction his attacks go in, compared to yesterday when there were three Cactuars running everywhere._

Genesis snorted as his ghost sword faded away and the abused dummy fell to the floor, looking like a steaming pincushion with the feathers sticking out of it. He padded over to the corner where it lay in a charred heap, unfolded a trash bag and spread it over the victim of his unholy wrath. Shaking his head with feigned sadness as he covered the dummy, he turned to Cloud.

"I hope that you were able to take this in," Commander Rhapsodos said, "because it will soon be your turn. While I like to think that you are ready to stand up for your comrade, who I have just beaten down, and face me, the look on your face says that you were more concerned with what brand name uniform the dummy was wearing than what I was actually doing."

"I…" Cloud started.

To convey how disappointed he was with the boy, Genesis decided to say something extremely nasty and extremely unnecessary. "Maybe we should have held detention at a shopping center. You look about as brain dead as a shopaholic right now."

 _Maybe I should just walk out! I don't have to put up with you demeaning me or trying to provoke me by bringing out dummies that resemble Zack,_ Cloud wanted to angrily shout at Commander Rhapsodos, but he took a deep breath, reminded himself that sometimes one has to put up with difficult people to accomplish a goal, and tried to look at the lesson objectively and see the value in what the officer was attempting to teach him.

As he tried to focus on the good, he told himself that he was lucky to have a teacher who was not coddling him and telling that everything he was doing was "very good" - which Zack Fair would have done if Zack had been his mentor. _Not every student,_ he said to himself, _has an instructor who starts things off with a fast-paced, highly difficult lesson. Most students do not have instructors who have such confidence in their abilities, and they get stuck with teachers who want to show them the basics and move at a snail's pace. I got lucky – I am not one of those students._

~***********~

Cloud looked up at the man who had become an instructor to him and nodded to show that he was paying attention, that the 1st's harsh words did not faze him and that he had appreciated the instruction that had been forced upon him. His understanding, unfazed, eager blue eyes met Genesis' and the commander rolled his eyes in return before turning and heading to the center of the room to resume the lesson.

"I will take that nod that you just gave me as a sign that you are ready to continue," Genesis dryly said, standing in front of Cloud. "If I am mistaken and you are not ready, oh well, tough – because I am going to proceed _anyway_ , and I'm going to move just as quickly as I did the previous –" He held up an emerald colored materia orb. "Do you know what this is?" he demanded.

"A Full Cure materia or some variant thereof," Cloud quickly said, instantly recognizing what kind of materia he was dealing with, even though the materia orb that Genesis had held out was not labeled.

"Yes," Sephiroth's confidant informed the boy, "it is a cure materia, and I have other beneficial nature loaded into my sword, such as –" He flipped open the panel in Rapier's side and put away the cure materia. "I have Wall, Barrier and Magic Barrier in here at the moment and this time, I will also be using my Magic Defense ability," he continued, "and if you don't pay attention to how I demonstrate how to use these, you are shooting yourself in the foot and are going to be disadvantaged in a few weeks from now. It is even more imperative that you pay attention now than when I demonstrated how to use offensive materia."

The commander's brows furrowed.

"Why is it important to pay attention to this lesson?" he demanded. "Do you understand what I am referring to when I say that in a few weeks from now you don't want to be at a disadvantage?"

 _You are referring to the exams. You said that cadets are allowed to bring defensive magic with them,_ Cloud thought.

"I think that you want me to have good reaction time so that I can predict when my opponent is about to use beneficial materia in a combat scenario or in the entrance exams," he said. "If I'm not quick enough to see when they are trying to heal up or stop them, then it could change the outcome of a fight or prolong it."

For his reply, he was rewarded with a non-sneering, non-judgmental smile from Genesis. It was the first that he had ever received from the brutal man.

"Yes," Genesis replied, showing that he was comfortable lecturing and showing off the defensive moves that he had mastered, "that is why I want you to observe me using materia and my abilities. By seeing how long it takes for me to charge an ability up, learning to predict what the delay is before its effect goes off, and coming to associate specific hand gestures with certain abilities, you will become better at knowing what your opponent is about to use and gauging how much time you have before you can stop them."

"I appreciate what you are trying to show me, sir. It was a helpful demonstration and feel that I learned a lot. I took most of it in and feel that I can give a lot more back now…" Cloud said in a voice that was so full of confidence that upstairs in the observatory room, Sephiroth leaned forward in his chair and turned up the volume on the microphone, wondering if Genesis was going to put the wayward little cadet from Nibelheim to the test after he had just subjected him to a very demanding and mentally exhausting lesson.

Cloud waited for Genesis to continue the lesson, but the commander did not resume it right away. Instead, he stood there for a moment, pondering what the kid had said, because he was somewhat taken aback by Cloud's claim that he had taken "most of it in" and could "give a lot back." Such claims did not feel appropriate given the way that he had taught the lesson.

As the boy politely stood there, Genesis found himself doubting that the cadet would be able to give him the reaction time needed to interrupt his abilities when they sparred. While he believed in Cloud and thought the boy was exceptional, he questioned whether Cadet Strife would be able to effectively process the information that he had taught him when there had been distractions and he had been doing things like overlapping his attacks and moving extremely fast. People, after all, had a limit to how much information they could absorb at once, and the lesson that he had just given had been a wave of information overflow that many 3rd and 2nd year SOLDIERs would have trouble dealing with. It would be unrealistic for him to think that the demonstration had not exceeded this cadet's limit and he was starting to find it irritating that Cloud was acting as if he had been able to absorb the information.

 _Don't tell me what you think I want to hear,_ the commander wanted to snap at Cloud. _That is not being honest. Tell me what you truly feel, even if you think it will piss me off._

Genesis decided it was time to lay a new rule down.

"From this point going forward," he told Cloud, "I want you to be very honest with me about what you do not understand and what skills that are giving you trouble. I realize that it may be embarrassing, but…" He turned his back to the observatory window so Sephiroth would not be able to see him force himself to smile a second time at the boy. "Don't be afraid to be afraid to be embarrassed, because…I won't punish you for being ignorant, since ignorance itself is a big enough punishment, and if you don't tell me what is wrong, I'll move on and won't repeat the lessons you didn't understand." He swept by Cloud and moved to the center of the room. "I'm willing to repeat lessons that give you trouble," he reiterated. "Understand?"

"I understand," Cloud said, wondering what had brought this on when the commander had been so eager to talk about reaction time.

"Since you understand," Genesis said, unsheathing his Rapier and assuming an offensive stance, "pick up your sword and get ready to demonstrate to me that the lesson I gave you did not go over your head. Prove to me that your reaction time has improved and that you can interrupt my healing and attacks from –" He paused as he saw that was Cloud looking at him a little uneasily. "Cloud," he gently said, for the first time ever caring that he was causing distress to a student, "the only effects I use are my _defensive_ materia and abilities. I may _make like_ I am going to use my attacks and elemental materia, but I will cancel the attacks before they can hurt you if you are not able to interrupt me in time. You needn't worry about ending up like Za…the _dummy."_

Genesis felt very relieved that he had corrected himself in time. If Sephiroth was indeed up there, spying on him, then he did not want his superior officer to hear him call the test dummy that he had destroyed "Zack Fair's Twin."

Calling the dummy unflattering names would also not go over well with Cloud and potentially set them back. Not that he cared what Cloud thought of him on a personal level, but he needed the boy to trust him on a professional level if they were to do demanding and potentially dangerous workouts together.

"Cloud," Genesis reassured the cadet, as he moved to initiate the fight, "this is going to be a more difficult match than the one we did yesterday, but –"

He slashed, brutally bringing his Rapier down in an elegant horizontal arc and silently applauded the cadet as Cloud quickly raised his weapon and turned his training sword so that it tilted slightly towards the ground - a good way to guarantee that his opponent's attack would glance off his defensively pointed blade.

"I will not let you…"

Commander Rhapsodos pulled back, spun and torpedoed towards the young cadet, jabbing at him with a horizontal cut aimed for the right shoulder.

"…get hurt!" the auburn-haired man hissed, as Cloud flipped his sword so that the blade pointed up vertically, held it out in front of him away from his body, and parried. "When the attacks and the materia start coming…"

He kicked off the ground and lunged into a front handspring as the training sword Cloud was wielding switched from defense to offense and cut low along the ground, aiming for his left leg.

"…just trust me!" he winced, as he miscalculated the landing, his booted feet came down hard on the floor and he rolled over on his left ankle.

Cloud's eyes widened with concern, but the 1st calmly reached out, put a hand on the floor to support his unbalanced body and pushed off the ground. He staggered to his feet, clumsily holding Rapier in his left hand as he held out his right hand to...

"Not good," Cloud murmured to himself, as he saw that Genesis was curling his fingers and preparing to make a fist. He tensed, recognizing the gestures that the commander was making as the ones that accompanied a cast of Energy. "If he gets this off –"

It was time to apply what he had learned and hope he could pull this off.

"You missed your chance, Cloud," Genesis started to say, but the smug grin was wiped off his face as Cloud flipped his sword around so that the hilt of his weapon was facing towards the commander and the tip of the blade was facing towards himself. "What are you do –"

Cloud charged.

Genesis snarled, seeing that he would have to interrupt his cast time to defend himself, and grasped his sword with both hands. He swung, holding his Rapier vertically so that his blade struck the hilt of Cloud's sword as the boy ran at him and tried to slam him in the stomach with the non-lethal part of his weapon. As steel and fabric wrapped hilt collided, the ruthless commander side-stepped away from the surprised blond and kicked with the foot that he had come close to spraining, driving the toe of his boot into the cadet's knee. He spun, pulling Rapier away from Cloud, and slashed at the ground, aiming for the boy's legs with a downward swinging cut. If Cloud was going to try to slam him, he would give him a good kick and drop him.

The boy leaped, barely avoiding the kick, and as he threw his weight to the side and rolled, Genesis whispered the words that would activate his Wall materia and white, ethereal light began to spark from the SOLDIER's fingertips.

"You're…you're – casting again?" Cloud rasped, as he jumped out of the roll and saw what Genesis was doing. He knew that the 1st was fast, but he had not expected that Genesis would be quite this quick.

"This is a surprise to you coming from –" Genesis growled, finding that he had no time to bandy words with the boy as Cloud came hurtling towards him, slid under him, and struck at the hand that he was using to build up a solid Wall around himself. "Damn it," he swore, as the clear, solid crystal that he had been building around himself to boost his defensives shattered, and the pieces fell away, raining all over the area around them.

Cloud pulled himself up and stared at the chunks. He hesitated for a moment as Genesis advanced and the 1st's black boots crunched over the fragments, not believing that he had been able to recover and interrupt a defensive spell that it took less than five seconds to cast.

"Did I just…" Cloud blinked, knowing that his sixteen-year-old body would have had a hard time stopping Genesis from using his Wall materia, and as he stood up, he felt more triumphant and confident than he had ever felt as a cadet. "I'm surprised," he admitted, as he smiled and silently cheered to himself, finding it amazing that he was able to pull off such moves in a body that he was still adjusting to and that was still very poorly conditioned for fighting.

"That was a good move, Cloud," Genesis agreed, "but don't let one good performance go to your head, because –"

He raised his clenched fist, bringing it up to chest level, and Cloud was unpleasantly surprised to see that sparks of blue light were straining through the man's closed fingers, that the air around the commander was crackling angrily, and that the attack was almost fully charged up.

"You just failed to interrupt my Hell Thundaga," Genesis snapped, aiming his attack away from the boy, "and that makes me think that you should spend less time with the cheerleading squad in your head and more time grounded in reality." He snarled, letting the burst of electricity that shot from his fingertips strike the banner hanging over Cloud's head.

The boy agreed. He had let himself and his mentor down by getting distracted and from now on, he promised himself that he would not let his accomplishments or _praise from Genesis_ get to him during a lesson. He would save all the excitement until after detention was over, and then he would go upstairs, celebrate and feel happy.

"You're right, sir," Cloud apologetically said, his attention now back on Genesis and the lesson. "It was bad."

"And your lapse in concentration was made even worse by the fact that you looked away from me," Genesis firmly told him, as he lunged forward and attempted to kick at Cloud again. "Remember what I told you last night in the library?" He scowled as the boy dodged the kick and flung himself away from him. "Remember what I said about eye contact?" The commander recovered and slashed, forcing Cloud back towards the wall.

"Yes, sir," Cloud stuttered, as the flat end of Rapier caught him across the knuckles, striking him hard enough to almost cause him to lose his grasp on his sword. "You said that if I failed to maintain eye contact with you that..."

"I said that you would be punished," Genesis finished for him, rapidly casting Magic Defense before Cloud could recover from the knuckle strike, "and I meant that. After we finish sparring, you owe me two hundred crunches for your lapse and –" He pressed his palms and his fingers together, like a man at prayer, preparing to follow up Magic Defense with Barrier, then Wall again, which he had discovered he could combo with each other. "I also think that I will have you do some push-ups as well. Would you like that, Cloud?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you put up your defensive materia," Cloud replied, as he ran and barreled into him.

Genesis gasped raggedly as Cloud's skull slammed into his chest and he was driven back. His clasped together fingers flew apart, the Barrier shield that he had almost succeeded in putting up sparked, fizzled and went out, and the next thing that he knew, Commander Rhapsodos found himself lying on the floor like a downed goose. As he brushed the hair that was falling into his face away from his eyes and fumbled for Rapier, Cloud Strife quickly ran up to his side, loomed over him and pointed his short training sword at his throat.

"Your reaction time has improved – you took in a lot from the lesson," Genesis reluctantly conceded, as he realized that perhaps he had been mistaken - perhaps Cloud Strife had indeed absorbed nearly all of the information that he had shown him and was now applying what he had learned.

"I tried to pay close attention," Cloud said.

"Yes, clearly you were paying attention," Genesis dryly said, as he grabbed his sword, _hmphed_ and stood back up, "and I must admit, that I am a little surprised by how well, Cloud –"

Genesis glowered at the boy, as his stubborn mind made one last attempt to disbelieve that Cadet Strife could have absorbed so much information.

"Cloud," he continued, as he held up his hand to indicate that he needed a moment to recover, "I need to ask you if some of the materia that I have been using is materia that you have seen other people use before. It makes me wonder…because you failed to interrupt spells and materia that are not used by anyone else around here except for me, but you were able to stop me from using materia that is used by all the 1sts, who you might have seen…" He drifted off, for it was clear to him that the child would not answer the question when he saw the blank stare that he was getting."Who you might have….I see that you are embarrassed by your talent," he said, deciding to put the boy to test. "Very well then – I have ways of making people feel less embarrassed about themselves and opening up."

The commander made a fist and concentrated, imagining sharp, deadly weapons forming around him and his hand.

"Here are some attacks that you are unfamiliar with and that you have not had a chance to observe as often," Genesis barked, as the silhouettes of four levitating long swords swelled and started to thicken as they sucked in energy to solidify themselves. "And here are some projectiles…" He opened his hand and rotated it, as twenty black feathers began to materialize about him. "What do you say now, Cloud?"

 _I think that I am in trouble if he completes the attacks,_ Cloud thought, as he grabbed his sword with both hands, charged and leaped into the air, slashing at the phantasmal swords to beat them down.

"What the hell," he whispered, as a wall of glass suddenly appeared in front of him. It was too late to turn back.

A bewildered Cloud was smashed to the floor.

For a few moments, Cloud sat there, stunned and very dazed. Eventually, he put a hand out and tried to climb to his feet. As he rose and looked over his shoulder, he saw Genesis canceling the Black Flurry and Magic Sword attacks, the pieces of his now shattered sword lying on the ground, and…

…General Sephiroth standing on the observatory platform, watching him with harsh green eyes that seemed…relieved that he had fallen down, and triumphant that Rhapsodos had experienced such success.

Cloud's heart sank – but the general was not here to gloat about his failure.

"I see no reasons, Commander, that the lessons should not continue," Sephiroth said in a voice that was intentionally icy to conceal how impressed he was by the talent and maturity that he had seen. "The boy seems to be taking instruction well and progressing, but next time, I hope that he won't try to attack your swords directly. He could have lost a hand that way if his arms had gone through them. Fortunately, I put up a Wall in time to prevent an accident."

"General, sir, I – thank you!" Cloud gasped, but it was too late – for Sephiroth had turned his back on him and was headed for the door. Before he could express his gratitude, the general was gone.

As Sephiroth vanished, Genesis gazed at Cloud, who was shaking, and started to say something, but decided that it would be best not to. It was not his place to tell Cloud how significant the general's actions and words were when he was sure the boy could see for himself that something highly unusual had happened, and that unforgiving Sephiroth was reconsidering his opinion of someone that he disliked.

He turned away, feeling relieved that the general was starting to calm down and feeling hopeful that Cloud's road to redemption and success was assured.


	15. SOLDIER 1st Class Zack

**Chapter Fifteen - SOLDIER 1st Class Zack**

_Midgar - εуλ 0000_

_Awww, I hope they haven't forgotten I'm out here!_ Zack gloomily thought, as he sat in the waiting room, praying that Director Lazard would come out soon to explain why they wanted him to attend an unannounced emergency meeting. _I'm beginning to feel like the kid who got left behind,_ he griped.

"Damn." Zack swore, eyes falling upon the receptionist, who was making no effort to let her boss know that he was here. As she pecked away at her keyboard, he gazed at her questioningly. He hoped not for her sake that she was not goofing off net-surfing, because the Director was known for going through secretaries like a fly fisherman goes through flies.

 _Director Lazard's usually nice and pleasant,_ Zack mused, _but he can be even more ruthless than the general! If Cloud had ran afoul of him instead of Sephiroth..._

"Shit." Zack sighed and shook his head, wondering what the hell his friend had done to piss off Sephiroth.

The general had given him a very exaggerated run-down of what had transpired, and he found it hard to believe Sephiroth's story.

 _He had to have misinterpreted things,_ Zack thought, _because you're a good kid. You're not the deceitful delinquent that the general says you are - and if by some chance you have hooked up with people who are telling you that it is cool to be late for class and not give a rat's ass about curfew, you need to tell them that they are wrong and that good friends don't encourage their buddies to do things that will make them fail. People like that are fake friends, like my **former friend,** Kevin Gillett, and you don't need them to..._

_~********~_

"Hm, what's this?" Zack murmured, aloud.

He turned to examine a magazine that was lying next to him. He picked it up and saw that the cover showed Genesis signing autographs for the fan club girls swooning around him. Sephiroth and Angeal were behind the smug, righteous commander, looking very uncomfortable that they were being boxed in and First Sergeant Hewley had his hand held up to prevent a photographer from taking an intrusive picture.

 _Genesis and his clique,_ Zack dryly thought, and then he found himself snorting as it occurred to him that the popular kid who had been his friend and Commander Rhapsodos had very similar personalities.

~************~

"Did you find a funny story in the magazine?" an unhappy voice asked. "Care to share the joke with us?"

Zack looked up and found that the receptionist was staring at him disapprovingly. As she raised her finger to her lips and pointed at the cubicles behind her, Zack felt his ears turn warm and he put a hand up to touch his now flustered cheeks. Realizing that people were starting to peer around their cubicles to glare at him, he waved back at the clerical staff members, smiled at them apologetically and then sheepishly slunk back against the cushions, hoping that they would forget about him. As they slowly turned back around and resumed their typing, Zack felt like punching himself for laughing at the magazine cover and disrupting the office.

"Sorry," he apologized to the receptionist. "I don't like red."

"Perhaps you would care to discuss your dislikes with my boss," the receptionist coolly replied. "He is ready and will see you now," she informed him, as the Director emerged, walked over to the waiting area and held out a gloved hand. As Zack reached out to shake the offered hand and her boss smiled at the young 2nd, the receptionist turned, headed back to her desk and said, "It looks like he has come out to greet you himself."

"Umm, yeah, and I-I am sorry that I missed your call," Zack stammered, and rose to his feet.

 _Please,_ he prayed, as he made out Sephiroth and Angeal's silhouettes through the door, _please give me a special mission. With Genesis slandering me and accusing me of unprofessional conduct, I need a special mission so that I can prove that I am SOLDIER 1st material. I really want this recommendation to…go through! So…if there's a special assignment on the table, I promise that I will do it really well,_ he swore to them, _And I promise that you won't have any regrets that you sent me on –_

"Hello." Zack smiled as the doors flew open and Angeal and Corporal Jenkins' right hand man, Lieutenant Adams, waved at him.

Zack cheered silently, for Mr. Adams was supposedly nicer than Genesis, and as he walked in, the Lieutenant did not hesitate to make him feel welcome; anti-social General Sephiroth, however, stayed seated at the end of the table and made no motion to greet him.

 _I guess the head nod he just gave me means "hello,"_ Zack blinked, staring quizzically as Sephiroth solemnly made annotations on a sheet of paper.

~*********~

"Hi," Zack said, hoping that everyone's mood was not going to be spoiled by him receiving some kind of reprimand. With Sephiroth present, he felt that there was a good chance that he was going to be punished. "How is everyone? Are you having a good day? What about you, sir?"

He waved at the general, hoping that he would elicit some kind of reaction, but all that he got in response was a very unpleasant sounding _hmph_ , which did not give him any indication what type of mood Sephiroth was in.

"I'm enjoying the day!" he beamed. "It's so nice and sunny outside and the weather is really –"

"Yes, the weather is very nice outside, and I am sure that we will enjoy it once we are finished with work for the day," Angeal quickly said. "Before we can go home, however –"

He turned to Sephiroth and Director Lazard.

"Would either of the two of you like to break the _bad_ news to him?" he asked – but neither of the two men budged, and the general's lowered eyes told Angeal that it was best that he be the one to tell Zack, because he had been the one who had mentored him after all. "Or should I...?"

"What bad news, sir?" Zack hesitantly asked, feeling his stomach twist up in knots. Somehow, he had a feeling that Genesis was behind this…

Angeal stepped forward, but Lieutenant Adams butted in, not allowing First Sergeant Hewley to be the one to give Zack the big news.

"Zackary," he said, in a very serious tone of voice, "your mentor and his colleagues have discussed your performance and your character and General Sephiroth and the Director have reached a decision. They feel that it would be best if you terminated your mentorship with Mr. Hewley and packed up your things and moved to the 5th floor, because they believe that your skill and character...becomes a SOLDIER 1st."

Zack's jaw fell open.

"As of this moment, you are promoted," Lieutenant Adams said. "Congratulations, SOLDIER 1st Class Fair, it will be an honor to work alongside –"

He flinched as Director Lazard grabbed his shoulder and pulled him to the side.

"Sir?" he asked uncertainly, as Lazard dragged him away. "What are you..."

"I think that it would have been courteous to let Angeal break the news to Zackary," Director Lazard simply said. "He is Zack's mentor after all and...why don't we…get the plates set up and put the finishing touches on the cake before they come in here," he suggested, wanting to give Zack and Angeal a moment to themselves and his Lieutenant a chance to redeem himself. "The confectioner did not make the cake according to the instructions that I gave them and it came back missing something very important. It does not feel complete to me unless it says…?"

"'Welcome to the team, Zackary,'" Lieutenant Adams thoughtfully said, "or 'Congratulations, Zackary.'"

Director Lazard nodded. "Either of those messages works," he said, suddenly feeling very glad that he had not offered the prestigious Wutai mission that all the officers were vying for to such an insensitive and socially clueless officer.

~*********~

With Lieutenant Adams ruled out, Director Lazard found himself once again considering potential candidates for the mission.

As he unpacked the knives and forks, he debated whether it would be a good idea to send Angeal to Wutai. The man was one of his best physical fighters, a brilliant tactician, excellent at inspiring the people under his command, and he already had a very good professional dynamic with SOLDIER 1st Class Fair, who Director Lazard wanted to send to Wutai anyway so that the boy would gain valuable experience in the field.

 _Sephiroth will be disappointed that I am leaning towards sending Zack and Angeal,_ Director Lazard thought, as he looked out the window and saw Genesis lecturing a blond-haired cadet whom he did not recognize in the hallway. _He wanted me to choose his second, but..._

_...good god._

His eyes widened as he watched Genesis point a gloved finger in the cadet's face.

 _There is no way in hell that I will consider sending a man like that to Wutai,_ he vowed, as Sephiroth came up behind him and said, "I would not worry about them, Director. The boy's ego is getting bruised, but he is not being harmed out there. If he was in mortal danger, I would recommend intervening, but since I do not see any danger around here, I propose that we make certain that SOLDIER 1st Class Fair understands his new responsibilities and that he realizes that he has a bus to catch early tomorrow afternoon for his orientation sessions with Corporal Jenkins…"

"I do not think that he is aware that he is being shipped out to the outskirts for ten days," Sephiroth murmured. "Someone will have to break the news to him. Perhaps that person could be you?"

Yes, the Director agreed, he was fine with doing that. He knew that Sephiroth did not feel comfortable going into the other room to explain obligations and training when Zack was bouncing around and he did not expect the general would care to discuss the matter over cake, ice cream and soft drinks either. "I'll talk to Zackary," Lazard promised, as he signaled to Lieutenant Adams that it was time to bring the cake out. "But while I'm out there -"

"I will speak with Genesis about Wutai and find out what is going on in the hall," Sephiroth abrasively said, sensing that Lieutenant Adams had blown his chances and now would be a good time to put pressure on Lazard to recommend his second-in-command. "If a situation arises that requires my attention," he informed Lazard, right before he headed out the door, "come and get me, but otherwise I would appreciate being left out of the party and…"

His green eyes sparked murderously as Lieutenant Adams began top it off a piece of cake for him with neon colored pink, yellow and green sprinkles.

"No cake for me either," he barked at the flustered Lieutenant, who seemed like he was failing at getting everything right, "and no sugary drinks! I _do not_ like junk food or high sugar food. Save that piece of cake you just put on a plate for Zackary and...turn the TV in here off. NOW."

"It is that disruptive?" Lieutenant Adams asked.

Obviously, it was that disruptive - for Sephiroth quickly pressed the OFF button, pulled the power cord out from the wall on his way out, then turned and said, "Yes, I find it annoying that there is so much background noise."

He nodded curtly at the baffled officer, then headed out, not caring to explain to Lieutenant Adams that the real reason he had wanted the TV turned off was because the woman on the TV was gushing about Hojo.

~*********~

Sephiroth was greeted by the sound of Genesis ranting and raving when he stepped out into the hall.

"After watching how you fought today," the hot tempered commander exclaimed, as Sephiroth ducked around the corner to avoid being seen, "it is clear to me that you do not handle a training sword well! This is appalling to me, because training swords are easy to wield and most students have no problem using them, but I suppose there are always exceptions and...you certainly appear to be one of them."

"You are unique," the 1st dryly said, "because you know many advanced skills, but are absolutely clueless what to do with a basic sword, and that poses quite a predicament for me. Do you understand why?"

"I -"

The abrasive commander did not wait for Cloud to respond. "I am debating whether I should teach you how to use a practice sword," he curtly said, "or whether I should entertain your request to let you use a heavier and slower blade. To be honest, I have reservations about both options."

"Teaching you how to use a practice sword feels like it would be a gross mismanagement of _my_ time," he went on, "when you will have the option of picking out a sword or bringing your own sword to the exams, and I am not sure that I want to encourage you to use a heavy blade when you _do not_ have the muscle for it and we've been emphasizing speed and stamina. Explain to me again _why_ exactly you feel that it would be beneficial for you to use a heavy blade?"

~*********~

 _Because he does not know what he is doing?_ Sephiroth sarcastically thought, amazed that someone who was short, scrawny, underweight and had the weakest-looking, most out of shape arms that he had ever seen was arguing that he should be given a heavier blade.

The boy's desire to run around with a weapon that would put him at a disadvantage in the exams was illogical to him, but then again, he reminded himself, teenagers were not known for being the brightest people, were they? He had seen plenty of boys do stupid things like pick out swords that were impractical to use because they thought "bigger" meant "more damage" or insist that they be given swords that were inappropriate for their body types because certain blades were "flashy" and "made them look good."

 _He probably thinks heavier equals better,_ Sephiroth concluded, doubting that Cloud was the kind of boy who would choose a sword because he thought that it would impress his peers. The boy did not strike him as someone who cared about impressing his peers with appearances.

 _I could be mistaken about him, but he did not look like he gave a damn about his appearance when I saw him an hour ago,_ Sephiroth mused, recalling how boring, unkempt and fashion-challenged Cloud had looked when he had walked into the simulation room for detention. _He strikes me as someone who wakes up, throws on clothes that are comfortable and do not flatter him,_ _puts minimum effort into making himself presentable, and shows up to do what he needs to do. And he – comes across to me as the exceptional job candidate who gets passed over, because all the retail managers are questioning whether his appearance is consistent with the appearances that the clientele like to see, the kid who is always being rejected by materialistic cliques but who has nothing to lose because he never wanted to join them in the first place, and…_

 _He has freedom,_ Sephiroth bitterly realized, _freedom to be his own person. Freedom that I will never…_

~*********~

"I've paid attention to how to use heavier swords, sir," Cloud said, distracting the general and pulling him out of his reverie. "I've done a lot of reading up on them, watched Zack practice with a Buster blade and…I have a sword that I found on a trash heap in the city..."

Genesis raised an eyebrow at this, finding it hard to believe that someone would not hand a broken sword over to the weapons department to destroy when there were strict regulations in place that prohibited dangerous weapons from being casually disposed of. Whoever had dropped their weapon off in a public dumpster deserved to be seriously reprimanded for their irresponsible actions!

"I think the person who threw away the sword was too embarrassed to hand it in," Cloud quickly said, sensing that Genesis was having a problem with his story. "It is scratched up, covered with a nasty substance, the release mechanisms are not working and it's so badly damaged that it was hard for me to believe at first that someone would treat their so sword so carelessly."

"And I assume that you want to repair this sword that you found, make it your own and use it," Genesis skeptically said.

He snorted and Cloud flinched, wondering if he was going to be stuck with the unwieldy training sword that he hated to practice with.

"What an _intelligent_ idea coming from someone with such a high IQ. How _logical."_

 _Here come the disparaging remarks and insults again,_ Cloud thought, but he was so used to them by now that most of the sarcastic comments that Genesis made no longer affected him…unless they were nasty comments directed at his friends. "You are right - it doesn't make a lot of sense that I would want to use a crappy, damaged sword," he said to show that he was acknowledging Genesis' concerns, even though he had already made up his mind that he was going to fix First Tsurugi and bring it with him to the exams, "but…even though it is in bad condition, I would like to try repairing it and making it good as new. I know that it seems like a waste of time to try to fix it when there are other swords out there that I could use, but none of those other swords have the feel that this sword has when I practice with them. This one…"

He struggled, trying to choose the right words that would convince Commander Rhapsodos that this sword was as important to him as Masamune was to Sephiroth or the Buster Sword to…Angeal, because Zack had not inherited it yet…and hopefully would not.

"This sword feels like it was _made_ for me."

"Does it now?" Genesis nastily said, unconvinced and unimpressed. "How do you plan on repairing the broken sword?" he demanded to know, finding it hard to believe that a cash-strapped cadet had the money to take the sword to a weapons smith for an expensive repair job. "Swords take a lot of gil to fix and swords with elaborate features and engineering, like release mechanisms. Unless you can come up with two thousand gil, you will not be able to afford fixing an elaborate mechanical sword," he said, feeling more than a little annoyed that Cloud clearly had his heart set on this. "It is best that you forget the idea and hand in the sword so it can properly be destroyed."

_No, I will not hand it in to be destroyed._

"I would like to try to fix it myself before I hand the sword in," Cloud determinedly said, causing Genesis to swear under his breath. "I don't have the money to take the sword to a weapons smith for a repair job, but I do know where I can get a hold of some tools, and if I spend some time with it, I think that I will be able to repair most of the damage. I –"

His cheeks and forehead turned slightly red and he felt his face warm up as he heard the sound of someone's fist rapping against the glass, turned around and saw that Lieutenant Adams was waving to Genesis, holding up a big plate of cake and eagerly pointing to it.

"I am good at fixing things," he quickly said, as his mentor murderously glared at the socially clueless Lieutenant and mouthed something very nasty at him, "swords in particular."

 _Especially if it is a sword that I made,_ Cloud thought, wishing that he could honestly tell Genesis that the sword belonged to him and was not trash heap fodder. _It should -_

He gaped as Genesis pretended to slit his throat with the gloved finger that he held up to his neck.

"There is a staff party going on," the 1st dryly said, "and they are trying to drag us in for cake, cookies and root beer floats to celebrate…"

He stepped in front of the window, blocking Cloud's view as Zackary came into the room, saw that there were even more sweets laid out for him, and turned and gave Director Lazard a high-five.

"The Director hired someone new today and they are trying to make the _hired help_ feel welcome," he shrugged, "and I am not interested in having them drag us in there and be a part of it. I'd rather have my throat slit than go in there and eat unhealthy sugary foods, listen to them joke around and…it would…it would be extremely tedious and extremely boring."

 _And everyone in the party would appreciate your dry sense of humor, your snide comments and your unwillingness to be there,_ Sephiroth thought, from around the corner, when he saw what his commander was doing. _Zackary, in particular, I am sure would enjoy having you there when you two obviously get along so well with each other._

~*********~

Sephiroth laughed darkly as his friend continued to make disparaging comments about Zackary. He knew that it was not a professional thing to do, and yet he did it anyway, to spite Hojo and the President.

 _If you laugh at other peoples' misfortunes,_ the general bitterly told himself, _you cease to be the polite, soft-spoken, agreeable, charismatic angel that people have told you time and time again that you are supposed to be. You tarnish yourself by behaving so poorly and violating the social contract that you have made with them, but you...don't really think about that in the heat of the moment,_ he mused, _because it feels good not to be pandering to the shallow little insects who are concerned with images and you feel relieved to be stepping outside of the artificial puppet-person part that you have to constantly play._

 _You…You feel free,_ he thought, _and you become as free…as...that boy you punished and came down hard on, because…_

_...because..._

_I..._

"Cloud."

_~****************~_

Sephiroth lowered his eyes as he evaluated the emotions that he was feeling now, compared them to the angry feelings that he had felt when Cloud and Zack had walked into his office, and realized that the _real_ reason that he had given Cadet Strife detention was because he had been filled with outrage and envy when he had seen how much freedom the child had.

His strong, powerful fingers quivered, shaking, and his firm, muscular legs suddenly felt unsteadily and wobbly as he remembered how he had sneered at the boy (for having a friend who was forgiving of his socially brain dead behavior), mocked Cloud (for being able to get away with not having perfect dress habits) and gnashed his teeth in rage at the cadet (for being a person who had made peace with themselves and did not care what other people thought of him).

Disgusted with himself for emotionally manipulating a child (for growing up in a liberal backwater town where families did not force their children to conform to rigid social roles), getting up in his face (for maintaining his self-identity in the midst of peer pressure) and using uncouth language (for never having to justify himself to other people), he slowly counted to ten, and then...

...forgave Cloud Strife for what had happened.

 _I am sorry I rushed to judge the boy,_ Sephiroth thought. _From now on, I will try to look at your student with fresh eyes and an open mind,_ he wearily promised Genesis, as an image of Cloud Strife showing up for lecture, then ducking to avoid being seen as he snuck out of class played through his head.

 _And…I will try.._.Sephiroth growled, pushing back an image that he was receiving of a very bewildered, angry and hurt Genesis walking into his office and disappointedly telling him that he had gravely misjudged the child's character and that he had been nothing but _a person for Cadet Strife to use_ in his quest to advance himself to SOLDIER 1st.

 _I will try…_ Sephiroth thought, _to trust the boy on a professional level and assume that he has…_

~*********~

"Damn," Sephiroth heard Genesis moan, and he quickly looked around the corner in time to see his commander painfully clutching his left shoulder and Rapier lying on the ground with blood on its blade.

Concerned about his best friend's well-being, Sephiroth stepped out from the shadows and started for the two, but stopped short in his tracks as he heard Genesis say, "Don't worry about what just happened - I will be fine – it is _only_ a scrape. I've had worse injuries before than this…such as the time that the Grand Horn…just…"

Sephiroth watched as his fiery friend bent over to pick up Rapier with his uninjured arm, unsteadily clasped its hilt and then fumbled with the materia compartment.

"Just…get a cloth from my bag so I can clean off my weapon and soak up some of this blood," he listened to the injured man say, "and while you do that, I'll get out the Full Cure materia that I have inside my sword, use it on my shoulder and all will be fine. Everything will be good as new, except…"

"Yes, sir?" the general heard Cloud ask in a sincere tone of voice.

"I am going to tear this goddamn sword apart for falling on me," Genesis grumbled, choosing to blame the sword rather than blame himself when he had been the one who had not paid attention and precariously propped Rapier against the lockers and the wall. "By the time that I am finished ripping it to pieces, it will be in as bad a shape as the sword that you recovered from…"

"It's called First Tsurugi," the general heard Cloud say, he retreated around the corner, feeling confident that he could leave the scene when the Full Cure materia that Genesis was prepping would easily stop his friend's bleeding. "My sword I mean, not a person –"

"First Tsurugi, eh?"

~*********~

Sephiroth listened with interest as Cloud's words sparked his best friend's interest and the pain intolerant officer started to ask questions about the sword, demanding to know how his student had come up with such an unusual name that was sure to drive people like First Sergeant Hewley crazy. When Cloud said, no, it was not his intent to frustrate anyone and politely asked the 1st what he meant, the general did a back take as Genesis laughed and told the boy that Angeal had been tripping over peoples' names for years and that the name that he had come up with for his sword was also going to pose problems for their honorable friend. Stunned, he paid extremely close attention as Commander Rhapsodos revealed to Cloud Strife that Angeal had started calling him _GR_ when they had been children _,_ because he had had trouble pronouncing his family's last name, and that the nickname had stuck. It seemed, Genesis was now complaining, that he had been stuck with that nickname ever since.

 _Surprising,_ Sephiroth thought, _very surprising that Genesis should say that. He doesn't usually talk about himself and we never talk about our relationships with other people._

The general stiffened, as he wondered whether pain had caused Genesis to slip up or if his friend had consciously made the decision to open up to the boy.

As the two continued to talk about non-work related things, Sephiroth found himself hoping that it was the first of the two possibilities, because the thought of Genesis intentionally revealing things about himself and Angeal made him want to rush around the corner, interrupt the conversation and call his officer away. While he was willing to forgive Cloud and respect him on a professional level, he was a long ways off from being able to take the step that Genesis appeared to be taking and trust the child him on a personal level…and his commander discussing their relationship _forced_ him to trust that the things that Cloud was hearing would ever be repeated or used against him.

 _I will never trust anyone on a personal level again,_ Sephiroth vowed, realizing that he would never be completely comfortable with the amount of personal trust that he had given Genesis and Angeal. _I have opened myself up to too many people as it is. It is…_

_...Good._

Sephiroth sighed with relief, as Genesis seemed to catch on to the fact that he was entering forbidden territory by talking about his two friends, and abruptly said, "Tomorrow I want to work on building up your stamina and your endurance. It's not as bad as I originally thought that it would be, but what I saw today was still unimpressive enough that if I was your instructor or your mentor I would be giving you D's across the board for such a depressing, dreadful, dismal, dull and very uninspiring performance, and there might even be an F thrown in there for good measure."

"Hmph." Sephiroth laughed - amused by his friend's blunt language, but...

...the dark smirk creeping across his face vanished when he heard Cloud's reply.

~*********~

"I accept that my performance today was worthy of straight D's and an F thrown in for good measure," Cloud lightheartedly said, surprising Sephiroth with his humor, maturity and willingness to receive very harsh criticism, "because I didn't do as well as I could have done. I was making mistakes like…using moves that are inappropriate for someone with my strength and body-type, doing too much running around, and I should've been better prepared and eaten something before I came in to see you. I honestly was running on empty and…I also had very little sleep. I had zero energy."

Genesis, of course, returned acknowledgment of his mistakes with even harsher words.

"Thank you for telling me how unprepared you were," he said. "I shall lower your marks to straight F's now."

His comments threw Cloud for a loop.

"I – I don't understand," the boy said, unpleasantly surprised that he was being slammed for honesty and a fair self-assessment of his performance. "Now I have straight F's?"

Genesis laughed humorously. "I can give you zeros instead if you do not like letters," he dryly informed the boy, "and yes, if I was your teacher, I would lower your marks even further, because I am not enjoying standing here listening to you whine and mewl and make lame excuses. Congratulations, your excuses are the lowest point of my day."

His voice softened as he realized that he had gone too far and that the comments that he had just made were flat out insulting, not going to encourage the boy to work harder, and that they would just end up pushing Cloud away from him when they were finally starting to make progress and the child was showing improvement.

"Cloud, I –" he murmured awkwardly, finding it very difficult to show regret, respect and sincerity, "I am _sorry_. What I just said was not constructive. It was…"

 _The rudest thing that I have ever heard you say to me,_ Cloud thought, _but I understand I guess. After all, you just had a sword fall on you and cut open your shoulder._

"No offense taken," Cloud said. "From now on, I won't make excuses…now that I know that they annoy you."

"Most of what you said didn't fall under _making excuses,"_ Genesis quickly said, not wanting to discourage the boy from honestly evaluating his mistakes when they were together. "I appreciated that you are assessing yourself and that you are trying to improve, I just…"

He clasped his shoulder as air from the vents blasted him across his neck and his upper body and the gash mark stung.

"I just don't want to hear you tell me that you didn't sleep well or eat well or you are not feeling well," he strained, as he pulled the tissue that he had instinctively clamped to his shoulder away and was relieved to see that the Full Cure materia had done its magic and stopped the ugly bleeding, "because… _those_ are excuses and I don't have the patience to listen to pig shit like that."

He quickly walked over to a trash can and shoved the soiled tissue as deeply into the plastic garbage bin as he could.

"So from now..." he irritably said, as he wished that his Full Cure materia _closed_ wounds in addition to stopping them bleeding. "...Don't give me excuses."

"I won't make excuses," Cloud promised, as his mentor reached into his duffel bag and brought out a long manila envelope. "And that is...an assessment that you wrote?"

No, Genesis shook his head, not an assessment that he had written…but he did want the boy to honestly assess himself.

"Tonight I want you to write a short five hundred to one thousand word paper, describing to me what you think your strengths and weaknesses are," he said, "and when you are finished writing it, I want you to put it in this envelop and then slide it under the door of my office, which is… Room 450 on the tenth floor...and it may take you awhile to find, because the tenth floor is a labyrinth with all the cubicles and the construction that they have been doing up there. It is a mess."

"So just leave it there?" Cloud double checked, wanting to make absolutely certain that he understood.

"Yes," Sephiroth heard Genesis say, as he became aware that he was not the only person standing in the hall, listening to the two talking to each other. "That is what I want you to do. Slide it under the door, leave it there…"

~*********~

 _"And…when I return from my staff meeting, I will read your essay. I will take notes, plan workouts based around what you have written, and I expect you to be prepared to **honestly** evaluate your abilities and your weaknesses when you discuss your self-assessment with me," _ SOLDIER 1st Class Fair mentally echoed Genesis' words, as he pulled up alongside Sephiroth and watched his _best friend_ open the envelope and thoughtfully read the instructions that Genesis had typed up for him. _"If you are going to half-ass the assignment by downplaying the serious problems that you have, giving yourself praise that you do not deserve, and not taking a good, hard look at yourself, then don't bother showing up tomorrow, because I don't have the time to deal with people who don't have the ego to assess themselves and only what to hear how good they are. Unlike a certain little puppy dog, who wags his tail whenever you do something wrong and who believes that it is fine to enable you to make mistakes, I say it like it…"_

" _Good god,"_ Zack whispered to the general, clenching his fists angrily as his best buddy stared up at the harsh commander with a reproachful, wounded look on his face. "What is going on over there….?"

He put down the plate that he had brought out for Sephiroth and started towards Genesis, determined to chew him out and teach him that _no one_ deserved to be talked to that way.

"Why, you verbally abusive little…HEY!" he gasped. "Let me go!"

Zack glared murderously at Sephiroth as the powerful swordsman grabbed him by the arm, dragged him around the corner, quickly opened a door and shoved him inside a side room.

"What do you think you are doing?" Zack protested. "Did you see what he was doing out there and how upset Cloud was getting? Did you hear the nasty comments that he was saying to him?"

He whirled around, rudely turning his back on his commanding officer and headed for the window.

"I can't believe that you are just going to stand there and let him get away with this! If you're not going to do something about it and break them up, then I'm going to scale the building and..."

He was stopped in his tracks by a flash of silver as Sephiroth retrieved his Masamune sword from the stand where it was on display and held it out warningly.

"I…don't understand…" Zack murmured. "Why are you doing –"

His fierce blue eyes met Sephiroth's emotionless green ones in challenge, and then he reluctantly pulled away from the window and turned to speak to his boss with a voice that was filled with sorrow, loss of respect and betrayed trust.

"I thought that you would tell him to stop or at least let me do so. I didn't think that you were going to stand and watch him tear into Cloud and the last thing that I expected was for you to drag me away. Perhaps you can tell me…why? Because I don't understand…"

The general sheathed his sword and stared coldly at the upset young man. He did not appreciate Zackary questioning his judgment, using hostile language with him and behaving in an insubordinate manner, but because this was the boy's first day on the job and because SOLDIER 1st Class Fair was clearly concerned about his friend, he would let it slide and not give Zackary the verbal beat down that he deserved.

"I didn't intervene," Sephiroth said at last, "because there was no reason for me to go over there and disrupt them. While it may have looked to you like Commander Rhapsodos was _tearing into your friend,_ as you put it, to me it looked like he was giving your friend much needed constructive criticism and…"

He growled, clutching his shoulder as the retracted wing that he did not know that he had moved around inside his body and caused his shoulders and entire back immense pain.

"And…it also looked like Cadet Strife was appreciating the constructive criticism that he was receiving," he strained.

"THAT was constructive criticism?" Zack blew his top. "Yeah, sure had me fooled."

He should not have said that.

Sephiroth lost his patience and his tone became lethal as the unhappy, melodramatic teenager refused to accept his explanation and demanded to know why people let someone who was a self-proclaimed, arrogant Certified Bonified Asshole get away with insulting cadets "under the guise of constructive criticism." He had had quite enough of Zackary disparaging Genesis and stubbornly insisting that his second in command was evil incarnate, so he decided to act and put a stop to the conflict now, rather than wait for even bigger drama to occur between the two men when the boy returned from his training and the they were all forced to go on missions together.

"I have held my tongue up until now," the general said with extreme displeasure, "because I did not want to ruin your celebration, but I see now that I have no other choice but to use harsher words with you than the ones that Genesis is using with your friend."

He reached into his coat and withdrew a checkbook and pen.

"These," he darkly informed the bullheaded boy, "are pay slips. And this…was a pay slip that I planned on making out to you and giving you as advancement, but since I now have doubts that you will be able to behave cordially around my colleague and treat him with professionalism, I have decided to withhold it for now and see how things are going to turn out. If they work out and you two can resolve your differences, I will keep you and you will be paid, but if you try to stir up drama with SOLDIER 1st Class Genesis and I have to mediate…"

 _Then you will find someone else to takeover my new position and my fired ass won't even be able to return to 2nd Class,_ Zack realized, as he stopped pacing, relaxed fingers that had been curled up into fists, and tried to ease his tense facial feature so that the agitation and dislike that he felt would be somewhat concealed when his eyes met Sephiroth's and he acknowledged his superior officer.

"I understand, sir," he said, in a voice that tried to sound respectful, but ended up sounding forced and insincere in spite of his best efforts. "I will put aside my differences with Genesis and we will work well together. We don't have to like each other, but we can all be professional around here."

He had to ask, though…"But what happened? What did Spike do to attract that kind of attention? Did they have a run in with each other?"

Sephiroth smiled dryly and shook his head, offering Zack an alternative possibility that the boy had not even considered.

As the boy put two and two together and a light bulb went off in the black-haired SOLDIER's head, the general calmly unlatched the door and motioned towards the hallway, indicating that he was through with this boring discussion, that he hoped Zack would accept that Genesis was supervising Cloud, and that they were going to walk back to the party together to ensure that Zackary did not pay cadet and commander a visit.

"Your friend possesses talent that attracts attention," Sephiroth flatly said, as an unpleasantly surprised Zack reluctantly left the room and started back to the Director's office, a heartless general following closely on the back of his heels. "If you see him after your party, you should tell him that."

 _I wish I could,_ Zack sadly thought, as Sephiroth opened the door and Lieutenant Adams greeted him, _But I won't be able to. Angeal wants me to help him after this is over and then early tomorrow morning, I am being shipped out for training and I won't see Spike again for nearly two weeks._

_I could try calling him to talk, but…_

He shook his head, deciding that until he calmed down and accepted what was going on, it would be best if he did not talk to Cloud, because he would likely end up say something nasty about Genesis and it seemed like the rude man meant something to his Spiky.

"Hey, Lieutenant," he waved, "I'm happy to be back."

As secretaries and staff members surged forward to greet him, he forced himself to smile, hiding from them that in reality, he was anything but happy, because the man whom he trusted the least had taken Cloud under his wing and the hope that he had had that he would be the one to mentor his best friend was gone. He shook their hands insincerely, wondering what they would think if told them that Genesis had destroyed his dream.


	16. The Power of Chaos

**Chapter Sixteen - The Power of Chaos**

_Nibelheim - εуλ 0000_

**Author's Note:** I edited out the scene with Hojo at the end in the original version, because it was too short to me.

Ifalna sat in the corner of the foulest prison cell she had ever been in, watching her daughter's friend sleep. She had left Midgar, as soon as she had learned that Cloud planned on awakening Vincent, and traveled to Nibelheim, fearing that things would end badly. _It is a good thing that I got here before Tifa did,_ she told herself, as she rose to her feet and approached Vincent. _She has no idea what she's getting into with Chaos._

She knelt beside the Turk, sorrowfully taking in the sight of the dark circles under his haggard, shot eyes. She looked at the grime on his face, the dust hanging from his bangs, the knots in his hair that would be a nightmare to untangle, and she bowed her head and whispered a silent prayer for him. "I am sorry that you have had to go through mistreatment _,"_ she told him. "If I was still alive, I would - "

Professor Gast's wife gasped as Vincent stirred, his eyelids fluttered, then flew open and startled red eyes were suddenly fixed on her, questioning what she was doing bending over him. Ruby-colored eyes shifted to yellow as Chaos forcefully took over Vincent's body, but made no move to change Vincent's physical form, and Ifalna found herself retreating as she realized that Chaos _could see her._

She watched uneasily as "Vincent" clambered to his feet and shakily clawed at the doorway for support and for balance. As he unsteadily picked himself up and started towards her, claw hand held up in a threatening gesture, she felt terror rise up within her. If Chaos could see her, her mind screamed to her, then there was a strong possibility that he could do injury to her or cripple her in the spirit world.

~**********~

"Chaos," she whispered hoarsely, when she saw that she was cornered and that he still had his clawed fingers ready to strike. "I am not with Shinra – and I am _not_ friends with the scientist who keeps coming in here and waking your host up. I'm a friend who wants to help him and get the two of you out of here. My name is Ifalna Faremis. I am –"

 **"I assume that you are Professor Gast's wife,"** "Vincent" disdainfully said, **"and you are obviously dead."**

"Yes, I was married to Professor Gast," she murmured. "I was –"

 **"I take it that you have come to see what the people your husband used to work for have done to my vessel?"** "Vincent" arched a black eyebrow and crossed his legs. **"How do you feel,"** the demon demanded, **"knowing that this is the way that they treat their human experiments? Does it make you feel good to know that this kind of treatment was deemed acceptable, because your husband did not take an active enough stand against human research?"**

He sneered at her and waited, hoping that his poisonous words and scrutiny from his fierce eyes would cause her to break and emotionally crumble before him. She did not strike him as a very strong person.

 **"Your husband is a man of many words, but very little action,"** he nastily said. **"He disgusts..."**

"My husband," Ifalna coldly said, "was a good man who opposed human research and who hated that part of his job. He wanted to get out of working for Shinra, but they would not let him leave, because he knew too much, and he could not stand up to the science department either. He tried filing a complaint before the ethics' board and they threatened to take away the patients under his care if he kept standing against them."

She drew herself up as "Vincent" cackled and slapped his leather clad knee with his hand, acting as though her story was the biggest piece of bullshit that he had ever heard. "My husband kept performing experiments so he could protect his patients."

"Vincent" snorted. **"I am sure your husband is enjoying the nice retirement check they left him to live on,"** he laughed.

"No, my husband was _not_ able to retire," Ifalna sadly said, once again remembering how Professor Hojo had burst into the room that they had been hiding in and attacked them. "My husband is _dead_."

She lowered her eyes and looked away from the demon as she pictured the bullet ripping through the back of her husband's head.

"He died before I did. He was murdered, because he left Shinra," she said. She made a fist and pounded her chest for emphasis as Chaos stopped his cackling and silently absorbed this information. "They killed him, because I was one of his patients and they wanted to _get_ at me and the daughter that we had together."

"And after my husband was dead...they locked me up, took my daughter away from me and ran tests on us, and...I was lucky if _that man_ even let me hold her. My reward for being a good test subject after a day of experimentation was to see my daughter for two minutes through a cage."

 ** _Hojo._** Chaos snarled as he followed Ifalna's gaze and saw that her brown eyes were fixed on a portrait of a man whom he would never forgive, whom he would torture for several hours then tear apart piece by piece if guilt-tripping Vincent ever decided to break out of their cell and take a little revenge upon the people who had destroyed his host's life. Destroyed Lucrecia's life. And ruined the existence of the child that she had carried within her.

 **"I take it that that man was your jailer,"** "Vincent" concluded.

"Yes, he was my jailer and my husband's murderer," Ifalna fiercely said. "He discovered where we were hiding, flew down to the lodge, bought a big gun and then blew my husband's brains out all over the wall. He then captured us and put us through hell."

She pointed to scars on her transparent arms.

"He injected us full of narcotics to prevent us from getting 'uppity' with him, cut us open to get bone marrow samples and he put us on display," she said. "We were like trophies or stuffed game animals he had hunted down," she continued, feeling very relieved that Chaos had stopped laughing, because his laughter had made her think of Hojo cackling madly at her. "We-"

 **"What happened to your daughter?"** "Vincent" demanded, finding what had happened to Ifalna disturbingly similar to what had happened to Lucrecia Crescent. **"You said that she was taken away from you and experimented on. Did your daughter survive? Or is she dead also? And when Hojo finished experimenting on you, did he kill you to get you out of the way so he could perform his atrocities on…?"**

Ifalna shook her head. "My _daughter_ is still alive," she said, deciding that she would not give "Vincent" her daughter's name. "She survived the experiments and the abuse from Hojo, but I did not…she has grown up and…she has become a beautiful girl."

 **"Hojo murdered you,"** "Vincent" concluded, even though Ifalna had not told him whether it had been the experiments themselves that had killed her or a gunshot wound from Hojo, " **and he took the girl and…"**

His eyes became slits as he thought of Hojo taking Ifalna's daughter, brainwashing her, forcing her to forget her murdered parents and raising her as his own daughter.

**"Does she think that she is his child?"**

_What an awful thing to suggest_. Ifalna was appalled. "No," Aeris' mother said, feeling very fortunate Hojo had not done that to her daughter after she had died. "She does not think that he is her father. She was old enough at the time that we were captured to know who her true parents were and when we were being experimented on by Hojo, I repeatedly told her to memorize what he looked like so that she would never forget the face of the man who blew her father's brains out. Hojo cannot deceive her with his manipulative paternal behavior and lies – she _knows_ that he is a murderer, but...I didn't come here to talk about what our life was like when we were experiments," she firmly told Vincent and his demon. "I came here to let you know that there are people who need _your_ help."

 ** _Oh do they?_** Chaos snorted, wondering what kind of help she could possibly want from him. He laughed dryly at her, hoping that she was not going to ask him for help rescuing her daughter from the science department or taking revenge on Hojo, because he had no interest in aiding her family. If the day ever came when he got the chance to strike back at the twisted doctor and his colleagues, he would be doing it for himself and for his vessel – no one else.

 **"You would not like my idea of _help,"_** "Vincent" sneered, as he sized her up and decided that she was the type who would not appreciate him ripping the limbs off every scientist in Shinra headquarters, smashing his claws through their chests and pulling their hearts out, and decapitating them and putting their heads on backwards. " **I tend to be very violent when I am at the helm and you strike me as being a very dull _pacifist person_. You are not going to achieve the outcome that you are looking for through me and there is also my host to consider.**

**"Grieving little Valentine insists that we stay here and if I cannot persuade him that it is time to move on with his life, you certainly are not going to be able to convince him with your plea for help."**

~*******~

 **"I have no interest in helping you,"** "Vincent" said at last, **"and my vessel is not interested either in getting involved in your affairs. You would be wasting my time and yours trying to persuade him – there is nothing more to...**

"Instead of assuming that I have nothing of value to say - hear me out," Ifalna said with urgency. She felt her strength begin to wane and realized that she had pushed herself to her physical and mental limits and would need to rest soon in the healing energies of the Lifestream. "Listen to me and...put me through to Mr. Valentine. There is something _very important_ that I need to say to him and him alone –"

She was cut off as Chaos barked with laughter at the outrageous request, having made up his mind that he was not going to relinquish his control over the Turk until the evening when the resident scientist came to check on his host.

"It is not something that I can say to you," she persisted, straining to be heard over the laughter, "because you were not directly involved with the people who need help. You do not feel the love and the protectiveness that Vincent feels for them – you…"

She pressed forward, getting up in Chaos' face, as her fear of him and his dark powers, along with her strength, faded away.

"Look at me!" the normally soft-spoken, gentle woman snapped. "And listen to me! If you do not listen to me…"

 **"You have a lot of nerve to command me to do something that I do not want to do,"** "Vincent" said with a growl. **"I didn't think you had a spine."**

"I didn't know that you didn't give a damn about your host," Ifalna shot back at him. "I thought you cared about him, because you were getting ready to rip out the throat of the next person who walked in here to mistreat him – but I see that I was mistaken."

Aeris' mother turned her back on Chaos and started to walk towards the door.

 **"Since you do not care about the well-being of your host,"** she calmly said, **"then I doubt that you will care when _Sephiroth_ goes insane and uses the Black Materia to summon Meteor and annihilate over three-fourths of the people on the Planet."**

She turned around at the door to give him one final very long, very disappointed and very reproachful stare.

"I will take your advice," she informed Chaos. "I will leave and keep my thoughts to myself, because as you said, there is nothing to say. Only –"

 **"Yes, what do you have to say?"** Chaos sharply inquired.

He recognized the name that she had just given and he felt the part of Vincent that he was unable to suppress when he seized control of the former Turk's body react to her words.

 **"What would you tell me?"** he growled, as Vincent raged within him, expressing disbelief and bewilderment, concern and protectiveness, then anger, fear and shock.

"That there is a girl on her way to see you," Aeris' mother said, assuming that "Vincent" was rushing her because he did not feel that she was saying the words that would lead to her departure fast enough for him. "She has dark brown hair and eyes and…"

Her tone softened as the collective made her aware that Tifa was preparing to climb up the trail that led to the mansion.

"And…she is not in league with the resident scientist," Ifalna struggled said, as she realized that she would barely have enough energy to make it to Tifa and warn her about the demon in the basement should Chaos not believe her, "and she doesn't work for Hojo. She is a good, kind person who was asked to come here by Cloud Strife…who…wanted to wake you and your host up to _free you_ and…Cloud also wants to help Sephiroth and thought that Vincent would be able to help him. Please –"

 **" _Don't kill her or hurt her!" is what you want to say,_** Chaos mused, as the hellish yellow glow in his eyes flared up, flickered, then started to simmer.

 **"What do you know about Sephiroth?"** "Vincent" demanded, reaching out to grasp the dismayed woman. **"What do you know about Lucrecia? Did you…know them?"**

He watched as his clawed hand passed through her transparent body and she turned and looked at him with wonder and thinly veiled hope bubbling up in her brown eyes.

"No," Ifalna softly said, as he withdrew and pulled his hand away, "I did not know Lucrecia – but my husband was one of the people who was responsible for Sephiroth when he was very young and I –"

She broke off, cutting short what she was about to say as the last of the yellow specks in her opponent's eyes faded away and red irises blinked at her dizzily and uncertainly.

~***********~

"Vincent?" Ifalna whispered, as Chaos withdrew, and Vincent Valentine, freed from his powerful alter ego's control, choked, gasped and fell to his knees. "Are you –"

"I'll manage," the black-haired man abruptly said. He painfully rose to his feet, limped over to the wall and leaned against the brick to support himself. "You needn't worry about me – I have not suffered any physical damage. I am just slightly disoriented and that will pass…"

He hissed, breathing raggedly and hoarsely in spite of his tough-sounding words as his back slid down the wall and he lowered himself into a crouching position.

"I am used to it – it is always like this after he relinquishes control," he explained with continued difficulty. "Let me recover and then tell me –" His jaw became rigid, the color drained from his sickly-pale face and his bright eyes became glassy, reminding her of stagnant water covered with flimsy pond slime. "...Tell me about Sephiroth and explain to me why you, the girl you claim is on her way to see me and this Cloud Strife person who I have never heard of want to help him. I want to know everything so that I will understand…give me five minutes."

Ifalna shook her head in refusal, wishing that she could give him five minutes to recuperate, but knowing that it would not be possible. A five minute reprieve was too much to ask for when she was this weak and the Lifestream was tugging at her and trying to pull her back in. "I am not sure that it will be possible to tell you everything," she said, "when I have expended so much of myself."

Vincent's eyes widened as he realized the danger that she was in. "Then hurry," he said. "Start with who Sephiroth is. I want to know what he is like today."

"He is a general," Ifalna hastily said. "The general of the entire Shinra army. He grew up, enlisted in the army, started working for Shinra, and became a great war hero. He is one of the most famous, well-respected men in the world at the moment, but…"

She paused again as Vincent made another attempt to stand, teetered about unsteadily and almost toppled over.

"He is not happy," she went on, "nor is he well. The science department and Shinra have not allowed him to have a normal life and everything in his life is very rigid and very structured and he is driven to constantly strive for perfection. If there is any deviation –"

 _Then Hojo makes his life miserable,_ Vincent bitterly thought. "How big a factor is Hojo in his life?" the marksman needed to know, but dreaded the answer.

 _Please say that Hojo has no control over him,_ Vincent found himself hoping.

Unfortunately, the reality of the situation was quite different. "Sephiroth has distanced himself from Professor Hojo, but –" Ifalna said. "Hojo still heavily influences him. Hojo impressed upon him at an early age that he needs to excel at everything that he does, that it is unacceptable for people to give him anything less than their best, and that he should suppress his emotions, and it has damaged him…"

"I see."

This news made Vincent's heart sink, and as the black-haired man's stomach twisted up in knots, Chaos took advantage of the confusion and the despair that his host was feeling to insidiously whisper poison in the man's ear. Instead of promising him gold, gems and the good life _,_ like he had promised him in the past, the black hearted demon diabolically swore to Mr. Valentine that if they left this place forever, he would see to it that Hojo paid for his crimes for your sake, for poor little Sephiroth's sake and for the sake of the woman you loved. Killing Hojo, the demon insinuated, would not be murder, but justice for all the lives that the deranged doctor had taken and ruined, and his death would spare others from experiencing a similar fate. He knew that Vincent found taking another person's life to be distasteful, but this was a special exception, and if he did nothing and let Hojo live to a ripe old age, he would have to live for the rest of eternity, knowing that he could have saved all those other people. It already was very emotionally painful to Vincent to feel as though he had let Lucrecia down, so why, the demon wanted to know, would he want to add to the burden that he carried?

"Shut up," Vincent snarled, "I –"

He flinched as Ifalna gave him a hurt, wounded look, assuming that he was snapping at her.

"No, I wasn't talking to you," he quickly said, "I was talking to –" He pointed to his head. "Go on," he added, "before you need to leave. Tell me about Meteor and the Black Materia. You said that Sephiroth planned on summoning it to kill everyone and I don't understand why he would do such a thing."

"Sephiroth has not gone insane yet," Ifalna said, "but he will go crazy and try to summon Meteor if Hojo continues to manipulate him."

"Why would Hojo want to drive the general–"

"Sephiroth has become too strong for Hojo to control," Ifalna said, "and that frightens him. He is afraid that if he loses his influence over Sephiroth, he will lose everything, because his claim to fame is that he raised, trained and genetically altered the most powerful super SOLDIER ever and that Sephiroth is obedient to him. If Sephiroth severs their relationship and becomes his own person, Hojo will be _out_ and control of the science department will pass to a rival scientist. President Shinra would most likely also fire Hojo, because it would be very embarrassing and a big blow to the company if Sephiroth ceased to follow orders blindly without question."

 _No,_ Vincent disagreed, _they would not fire him, because they would be concerned that he would be snatched up by a rival company, reveal his knowledge and spill all of their secrets. They would assassinate him rather than let him go._

"Hojo is also afraid that Sephiroth will turn on him," Ifalna continued. "There is no love lost between them and Hojo has been thinking that there will come a time when Sephiroth will try to kill him and…he knows that he is no match for the general. Very few people are."

 _Hold._ Vincent held his hand up. "Wait." he said. "Please explain to my why Hojo thinks that Sephiroth will be easier to control if he's driven insane? That does…not make sense to me…"

She agreed. It did not make much sense, but since the being Hojo wanted to use to control Sephiroth was Jenova…

"In a few months from now, Hojo will generate a false report that there are problems with the Nibelheim reactor," Ifalna told Vincent, "and he will request that the general be sent here to fix things. Sephiroth will come and he will read books in the library that Hojo intentionally left out for him and he will also discover pods in the reactor that are being used to create monsters. He will be disturbed by what he finds and when he investigates the matter, he will discover Jenova sealed away in the heart of the reactor, and when they meet, Jenova will claim him."

~*********~

_Was this woman saying what he thought she was saying?_

The former Turk was absolutely stunned and for several minutes, he did not know what to say in response to Ifalna. He tried several times to put his thought into words to reveal to her how upsetting this revelation was to him, but he found himself tongue-tied and frozen. Unable to articulate how he felt, because there were no words in the human language to describe how hideous and appalling Hojo's plan was to him, he let his body language speak for him.

As Ifalna agitatedly approached him, warning him once again that she had very little strength left to remain visible to him, he leaned his shoulders forward and tried to keep his shaking hands steady. His harsh facial features relaxed, becoming a blank, unreadable slate, as his eyes wandered from the rotting portrait on the wall, to her, to the white light streaming in through the shattered windowpane.

He shrugged at her with slouching shoulders, as if he were trying to ask her how it was possible for human beings to be so cruel to one another and have so little regard for human life, and when she could not explain, he turned and started to walk away from her with a forced gait and a limp that did not fit the image that she had of him as a strong, powerful gunman.

His gloved hands reached out, fluttering over the broken glass and the weathered wood that made up the windowpane, and when he reached through the tear in the glass and hesitantly put his hand out to let the window blow across his hands for the first time in twenty-five years, Ifalna knew that he was going somewhere that was very emotionally painful for him.

~**********~

Vincent turned to her with dazed, incredulous, trembling eyes, and as his eyes met hers and long black hair whipped out behind him, she thought of Sephiroth standing in the flames of Nibelheim, looking as broken and shattered as the glass that Vincent was daring to touch. As Mr. Valentine wheezed like an asthmatic patient and he seemed to shrink before her, the image that she had of Sephiroth fanning the fire faded away, and was replaced by an image of Genesis, alienated and alone on the cliffs of Kalm.

All three, she suddenly realized, felt the same helplessness, but the difference was…

 _Mr. Valentine seems like he is getting ready to walk through the door,_ Ifalna thought, encouraged that the broken man before her was putting his hand through the window, _and re-enter a world that has disillusioned him and betrayed him, while the other two have turned their backs on the world._

She did not, however, articulate this thought out loud.

"Hojo intends for Jenova to claim Sephiroth," Ifalna said instead, "because he believes that she will be able to control him through the immense psychological power that she is able to exert over people and through the connection that they have with each other. Sephiroth is particularly susceptible to her influence, due to the cells from her that are in his body, and it will be very hard for him to resist her. If she succeeds in manipulating him –"

"Then Jenova will manipulate him into doing terrible things," Vincent darkly murmured, "such as…killing the people who stand in her way or..."

His brows creased, his smooth white forehead became wrinkly as prominent worry lines emerged, and he looked at her with the weary, resigned and pained eyes of one who has seen every unimaginable horror in the world.

"Or…do as you describe and obtaining the Black Materia, bringing it to her and using it to summon a Meteor that will kill us all. That is what Jenova wants, is it not? To kill everyone?"

He could see by her eyes that that was indeed what the bizarre, brainwashing entity in the reactor wanted.

"Jenova is an alien life form who killed my people," Ifalna quietly said, "but no one realized that when she was found."

~*************~

Vincent showed no surprise as the Ancient described the damage that the bitch in the reactor had done. He had always been suspicious about the conclusions that the science department had drawn, because he had thought of the Cetra as being people who devoted themselves to healing the hurts of the world, and Jenova had not seemed to fit that profile. When he had seen the grotesque changes, the madness and the agonizing physical pain that her cells had caused Lucrecia, he had been bewildered, and wondered why a being who had the capacity to do so much good was hurting the woman he loved. Unable to look at Jenova the same way again after Lucrecia had writhed about on the basement floor, screaming, he had started to investigate Professor Gast's findings, thinking that perhaps they may not have unearthed an Ancient after all. Hojo turning on him had…

… _Prevented me from finding out what a real Ancient is telling me now,_ Vincent thought.

"What would Jenova do to manipulate Sephiroth?" the gunman asked. "Why would he agree to go along with killing everyone?"

"Sephiroth will do what Jenova wants without question if he is manipulated," Ifalna explained, "because he will have been led to believe by Professor Hojo that she is his mother and is the last living –"

She was interrupted by the black-haired man swearing, totally repulsed by such a terrible lie.

"Professor Hojo has repeatedly told Sephiroth that his mother was a woman named Jenova, who died in childbirth giving birth to him, and the books in the mansion basement that the doctor will leave out for him to find will be books written by the man he murdered that say that she _is_ an Ancient. Sephiroth will obey the alien, thinking that he is being a good son who is carrying out the will of a kind woman who wants to protect the Planet."

"Even though that good, kind woman wants to destroy life," Vincent said, as the wheels in mind started to turn and he began to think about the things that he could do to undermine Hojo's plans, "that makes a lot of –"

He felt a wave of alarm as he looked up and saw that his ally was very weak and had begun to fade away.

"You asked me to help," he urgently said, "and you said that there was a girl and someone named Cloud Strife…who are these people and what did you have in mind?"

Ifalna somberly smiled, thinking that it was about time that he asked. "Cloud Strife is a cadet enrolled in the Shinra academy," she said, as she pulled together the last of her strength. "He grew up in Nibelheim, had big hopes about working for the company, flew out to Midgar and learned more than he should about what goes on in the science department. He was shocked when he found out what type of man Professor Hojo is and disgusted when he learned that Hojo plans on using his childhood town as a staging ground for handing Sephiroth over to Jenova."

 _A cadet?_ Vincent wondered, taken aback by this revelation. _I would have thought that…Cloud Strife would be…how old is this person?_

"He is sixteen," Ifalna said, sensing his bewilderment and amazement through the Lifestream, "but he is very mature for his age. He carries himself, mentally and emotionally, like a twenty-six-year-old man and he –" She saw the doubt in Vincent's eyes and knew that she had to work fast to reassure him that he would not be jeopardizing the life of a child if he chose to work with Cloud. "He is a very skillful fighter," she said, "and handles a sword very well. You would not have to worry about him in a fight – he would be able to hold his own."

"He is still sixteen, though," Vincent insisted, deciding that it would be unconscionable for him to expose a child to danger, even if everyone thought that said child was the best fighter in the world, "and I cannot look passed that when the situation that you describe is so bad." He frowned grimly, guessing that the girl who was on her way to see him was the same age as the boy. "I also have concerns about the age of the girl," he said, "and I must ask you if she is also a minor."

"She is fifteen," Ifalna reluctantly said, realizing that they had reached an impasse.

 _She is fifteen?_ Vincent blinked, finding that even worse.

"And it is her age and her helplessness that affected you," the marksman murmured to himself, understanding at last why the Ancient had expended so much of her strength to travel to him. "You were afraid that if you did not wake me and explain the situation before she got here that she would have been exposed to great danger – and that danger would have been… _me."_

He held out his gloved hands and raised them up to eye level, staring at them icily and with loathing.

"I've never taken the life of a child before," he said in a haunted voice, "but if she had walked in, awoken me and Chaos had assumed control, I probably _would_ have –"

His eyes flashed fiercely and he thrust his rigid jaw out as he made up his mind that he was _not_ going to work with children.

"I will allow the girl to find me," he said and his tone was absolute and final, "and I will ask her to put me in touch with Cloud Strife, so that I can explain to him why _we will not be working together_ even though we both want to protect Lucrecia's child."

 _NO! Don't say that!_ Ifalna uttered a wordless cry as he shook his head in adamant refusal. She wanted to rush forward, to beat at him with spectral fists, scream that him that this would fail if they did not work together, and that he needed to trust Cloud for Lucrecia's sake, but she knew that there was no pleading with him or trying to reason with him when he was so concerned about the children's ages.

"That is a shame," she disappointedly said. "Lucrecia would have asked you to work with Cloud."

Vincent stiffened at the use of his lady's name. "Lucrecia _would not_ have asked me to work with Cloud, because putting children in the line of fire is no different than exposing them to Jenova cells," he sternly corrected her, "and I request that you do not assume what Lucrecia would and would not have wanted. You are not her and you never knew her. Do not speak on her behalf."

He knelt down, gathered up his head scarf and tattered wrappings, and then started for the door as he felt his strength return to him.

"I am sorry," he apologized. "I _will not_ work with the boy, but –"

"Yes?" she sadly asked.

"I will destroy the books that Hojo plans on using against Sephiroth to set the Strife boy's mind at ease," Vincent informed her, "but he must leave everything else to me…and that includes…confronting Professor Hojo, revealing what Hojo's plans are to Sephiroth, and the destruction and the disposal of the Jenova monster. If he does not leave these things to me, then I will consider him someone who is working against me, and that would be very unfortunate. I do not want to consider him an enemy."

"Who do you consider your enemies?" Ifalna tensed at what he said and her shoulders became even tauter as she heard the sound of a monster's toenails clattering about on the metal floor. As the monster brushed against the wall outside the room, it occurred to her that the resident scientist, who Vincent truly did see as an enemy, would be returning from the reactor soon to check on the specimens that he kept in lab tubes in the underground basement, and that the gunman and the scientist would likely come into conflict with each other. Alarmed brown eyes took in the deadly, gleaming metallic claws, the dusty gun in the holster strapped around Vincent's leg and the faint gold glow in the Turk's irises, as her stomach churned and she wondered if Tifa would come downstairs to find the scientist sprayed all over the walls. For the girl's sanity, she hoped not.

"Do you plan on killing the scientist?" she needed to know.

"No," Vincent told her, as he withdrew his gun and began to load it. "Chaos would like for me to kill him, but I would rather limit the amount of blood that I have on my hands. These bullets are for the creature in the reactor."

Killing Jenova was also not what she had had in mind.

"I think that it would be a bad idea to confront Jenova on your own," Ifalna cautioned him, "because of the peril that you would place yourself in. The Calamity was very powerful when she infected my people and she has grown even stronger since then with time. Do you want to take that chance?"

No, he did not want to risk being torn to pieces, tossed into the reactor or have his guilt and shame thrown back in his face by the slimy alien bitch, but it was a chance that he needed to take for the boy who would never be his child but who he would continue to love and protect as though they were father and son.

"You should wait for Cloud to complete his training and be shipped out here," Ifalna said. "He will help you fight her."

Vincent looked at her as though she were mad. He could not believe that she had gone from cautioning him not to take on Jenova, to advising him to wait for a boy who would _surely die_ if they engaged the monster together.

"Speak to Cloud first before you engage Jenova," Ifalna pleaded with him, as her time ran out and her form broke down, dissolving back into the green strands of Lifestream energy floating about them in the room, "and then make the decision. I think that when you talk to him that you will –"

Her weakened, but still melodic voice strained to be heard over the clanging of the clock, the thud of a monster's footsteps on the stairs, the rattle of a creature turning the doorknob and the thunderous sound made by broken mechanical parts bouncing about inside the ventilation system.

"You will be surprised – by the person that he is. He is intelligent, resourceful and mature beyond his years and – there was a time that he was more skillful than Sephiroth is with a sword. He has had a bit of a setback, but I have no doubt that he will recover the strength that he lost and be a very competent ally. Do not discount him…do not dismiss him."

"You say this boy is as strong as Sephiroth? And that he has had a setback?" Vincent was very confused. "Who is this child?"

"He has Lucrecia's heart," were Ifalna's last words as her voice died away.


	17. Tifa

**Chapter Seventeen – Tifa**

_Nibelheim - εуλ 0000_

' **Look out – here comes trouble.'**

"You don't have to warn me – I can hear it," Vincent Valentine grimly replied, as he spun around to meet the Grand Sahagin that had wandered into his cell.

He caught the monstrous creature's muzzle in his hands and violently twisted its head to the side, forcing it in a direction that it would not normally go. He heard Chaos roar with rage as he sprang into action for the first time in twenty-five years, and cackle gleefully as he crushed its windpipe. He grit his teeth as he hurled the body to the floor of the Shinra Mansion basement and wished that he had a way to drown out the derisive hellish laughter in his head; Chaos had spent the past half-hour laughing at him for taking some time to consider the things that Ifalna had said and not immediately walking out the door, and he was starting to grow tired of listening to the sound.

As he searched the corpse for materia and money, he prayed that his supernatural friend would shut up, and realize how important it was that they work together to get out of the Mansion. "I wish that you would stop mocking me," he said to his companion. "There is a lot that needs to be done before we go into town, and I could use your help."

Chaos snorted as his host walked out of his cell and headed for the underground library. ' **You shouldn't even be thinking about going into town,'** the monster telepathically purred. ' **Why go through such an inconvenient hassle when it would be simpler to kill the resident scientist when he returns? And move into his home?'**

Vincent felt his fingers angrily curl up as the demonic entity that he was bound to started to project images to him of all the fun games that they could play with the scientist. He disgustedly ripped a burlap sack off the wall on his way into the room, and once inside he angrily slammed the door shut behind him. He began to shovel books into his bag and sternly said, "I am not accustomed to murdering people and taking over their homes – and I have no desire to start committing such despicable crimes! While we are in Nibelheim, there is to be no killing – torturing – or feeding upon the villagers! I did not break out of my prison cell so you could maim, massacre and –"

'… **Bask in the joy of creating wanton chaos,'** the fiend unhelpfully supplied. ' **…Listen to the screams of our enemies as we rip them limb from limb. Take pleasure in tearing off their heads!'**

Vincent snorted. "If you revert to your old ways, I will place myself in stasis after Hojo and his freak die, and you will never get the chance to see the wonders of the 'new world!'" he threatened his uncooperative ally. "Instead of seeing mountains, oceans and hidden towns, you will experience an eternity of septic tanks and oxygen tubes," he snapped. "And I highly doubt that anyone would be foolish enough to free you," he added when Chaos decided to make his anger known by swearing at him in an Ancient language.

' _Hello, bloodthirsty demon here. Please let me out so I can go vacation in Costa del Sol' does not exactly go over well with people,'_ he mentally retorted as the obscene comments that Chaos was making turned personal.

He unhappily reached for another stack of books as the demon spat Lucrecia's name, and tried his best to tune Chaos out. He suspected that Chaos was once again accusing him of being a "spineless little lover," or was spewing out crap about him getting duped by a "faithless woman", but could not be certain, because he understood less than three-fourths of what the monster was saying. The demon had considered it beneath him to teach him the Ancient languages, and now that the Ancient tongue was being used against him, he felt very relieved that he had not insisted upon language lessons. _I am glad that I have no interest in learning new things,_ he told himself as he resumed gathering up books.

 ** _Oh, is that so?_** Chaos snickered at his host and watched with amusement as he flipped through one of Professor Gast's old diaries– searching for information that would disprove that Jenova was a Cetra. ' **You look like you are very interested in learning about Hojo's abomination, my inconsistent friend,'** he hissed at the crimson clad gunman. **'Perhaps you should reconsider what you just told yourself.'**

Vincent flinched as Chaos' loud words caused his ears to ring. He pressed the palms of his hands against his now throbbing forehead and asked himself whether it would be productive to attempt to teach the demon about indoor and outdoor voices once they had escaped from the Mansion. The warning in Chaos' cold voice, however, made him hesitate to follow through with his plan, and as he set the diary that he had been reading to the side, it occurred to him that his other worldly protector might see it as a challenge and raise hell if he expressed his displeasure. _I think the best thing,_ he decided, _would be to shut up and not say anything. The last thing we need is to get into a stupid argument with each other,_ he thought, as he softly said, "You're right. I am looking up information on the nightmare in the reactor – and you could aid me by telling me what you know about her; you are ancient and wise, and must –"

' **I know less than you think I do,'** Chaos abrasively snapped. **'My memories became fragmented when that weak-willed woman bound us together, and I cannot remember how Jenova fits into Her grand plan. All I know is that if Jenova is not destroyed…there will be…consequences.'**

Vincent stiffened, recalling what Ifalna had said about Meteor and the Black Materia. "Would those consequences involve the WEAPONS waking up?" he demanded to know.

Chaos sighed - and his answer was even darker than Vincent feared that it would be. **'If Jenova manipulates Sephiroth into bringing her the Black Materia, then yes,'** he grimly replied. **'Sapphire WEAPON, Ruby WEAPON, Diamond WEAPON, Emerald WEAPON and Ultimate WEAPON will appear…and when Meteor strikes the Planet Omega will arise…and everyone will be instantly killed. Omega will absorb their souls and consume the Lifestream and…life will begin anew. However…the Black Materia is near impossible to obtain and…'**

He trailed off, leaving Vincent wondering what he was thinking, as his keen senses picked up…

…a dark Presence that he had never felt before…

…seeking them…reaching out to them…

He tensed as his host cried, "What is it? Have you remembered something? Is She attempting to communicate with you?"

' **Neither, my ignorant little vessel. My memories are as clouded as always, and Gaia will not speak to me again until Omega rises at the End of Time! There is someone here with us!'** Chaos replied with a mental grimace, as he tapped into the spirit energy flowing around them - searching for the nameless Presence. As his host waited for him to explain what he meant, he exerted his formidable willpower and put out a wordless call of power, hoping that it would draw their faceless darkling to them. He quivered with predatory anticipation and growled with triumph when the being whom had briefly touched his mind attempted to respond to him. His supernatural heartbeat quickened as he realized that he and weak little Valentine were dealing with someone with undeveloped powers who would have a hard time defending themselves against his attacks if they ran afoul of him, and had the misfortune to cross paths with him. His ethereal lips twisted into a cruel, diabolical smile as he engaged them, speaking in deceptively soft, honeyed tones. **'What is your name, young one?'** he lulled. **'Who are you? What are you? And what do you want from Chaos? Have you come seeking our deaths?'** he telepathically purred - much to Vincent's discomfort.

Vincent's blood ran cold as he listened to Chaos speak. His finger tightened on the trigger of his gun, and he brought his weapon up to chest level - hoping that their well-concealed friend would not turn out to be an enemy. He flattened himself against a bookcase so that he would not be an easy to maul target if a monster wandered into the room, and tried to control his breathing. _Who are you speaking to?_ he mentally asked his partner. _And what do you plan on doing with them? Do you…plan on killing them?_

' **No – I don't,'** Chaos said, **'and you will understand why there is nothing worth killing when you see the sight over there.'**

_Gulp._

Vincent swallowed nervously and followed his immortal companion's orders. He reluctantly pulled himself away from the bookcase and cautiously peeked around the corner, certain that he would not like what he would find. His red irises widened in surprise as he found himself looking at a row of cylindrical stasis pods cleverly built into the wall, and Chaos heard him murmur, "What the hell this?" when he saw that they contained people. The color drained from his already porcelain-pale face as he approached the pods and solemnly stared at three silver-haired boys bobbing about inside one of the capsules. His lips thinned into a frown and he hissed through his teeth as he took in the sight of their malnourished, shriveled-up bodies and skeletal arms and legs. And he felt icy fire surge through his stomach as his eyes roved over their yellowed skin, bruised veins and pained faces. "Are these…children whom I think they are?" he dared to ask his demonic ally at last, with barely concealed disgust and anguish in his voice. "Are the three of them…?"

' **Human lab rats for Hojo?''** Chaos apathetically replied. **'Yes – they are – and according to the piece of paper taped to their prison, they were part of a cloning project gone awry.'**

"So I see." Vincent peeled Hojo's notes off the capsule door and held them up to his eyes. His eyes hardened as he read that the boys had been placed in stasis after they had "failed to achieve Specimen S's potential," and his face darkened when he saw that Hojo had checked off the box authorizing their disposal at the bottom. He angrily crumpled up the sheet of paper, and briefly considered letting Chaos do whatever he wanted with Hojo when it came time to take the sadistic scientist's life. _I will not allow that bastard to put another generation of children through pain,_ he vowed, while he circled the pod – searching for anything that would indicate whether it would be possible to someday revive the three boys. _It will all end here._

 ** _Then in that case…I recommend that you send your dear enemy a card, inviting him to Nibelheim for a final confrontation!_** Chaos wanted to say to Vincent as he watched his host pour through a journal that Professor Hojo had carelessly left beside the children's capsule. He was eager to leave the Mansion and start slaughtering scientists in the town, and considered it counterproductive to try and save three little genetically enhanced brats. It mattered not to him that they could sense his presence in their catatonic state and were hoping that he and Vincent would save them. For all he cared, they could all go to hell and he would see them in the Lifestream when he and Omega were busy destroying the Planet.

' **Do not trouble yourself with the children,'** Chaos tersely said to his host. **'You do not have any experience releasing people from stasis, nor do you have the medical expertise to treat their injuries, which I might add look very life threatening! And…until your mission is complete…and the monstrosity in the reactor and the Professor are dead…you cannot afford to have three helpless children following you around, anyway,'** he went on, when his host went up to the capsule. **'Hojo would send out Turks to recapture his wayward lambs! Jenova would try to kill them!'** he exclaimed. **'And if I got hungry, I might decide to have a nibble or two during the night when the boys are sleeping,'** he nastily added, even though children were not high on his list of favorite things to eat.

Vincent pressed his temples against the stasis capsule and sighed. It had never even crossed his mind to take the children with him, or to attempt to free them on his own. He had seen too many attempts to unthaw people end badly, and knew that he would need to have an experienced doctor who specialized in deep sleep oversee the procedure. His beloved Lucrecia had had the qualifications that he now needed, but she had sealed herself away beneath the Crystal Caverns and was gone forever, and he did not trust the other scientists whom had been involved in the Jenova Project. _Hojo would turn on me and pull the plug on these three children if I ordered him to release them at gunpoint,_ he mused, _and I have no doubt that Hollander wouldn't do the same! They would rather take their "failed experiments" with them to the grave then let them walk away and live out the rest of their lives,_ he lamented - turning to the sleeping boys and gazing up into their angelic-looking faces. "I cannot take you with me now," he remorsefully told them with a sad smile in his eyes, "but I promise that once I've settled things with Hojo and his horror, I'll come back for you – free you – and find someone to take care of you. I _will not_ leave you here in the basement, because …"

… _The three of you are a part of Sephiroth, who is like a son to me,_ he trailed off. _And if I had not been weak and let Lucrecia down…_

' **You are going to let Lucrecia _and_ these boys down if you do not hurry up, destroy the library and get out of here,'** Chaos snapped – fearing that his host was going to start guilt-tripping himself again. **'The resident scientist is due to return soon, and if he walks into this room and catches you, you and I will be forced to commit an act of coldblooded murder in front of Yazoo, Kadaj and Loz,'** he could not resist saying.

 _Yazoo – Kadaj – and Loz?!_ Vincent blinked. _Where did you get those names?_

"Oh. I see." The gunman grimaced as Chaos directed his attention to a brass plaque that was dangling over the children's prison. He smashed his knuckles into the wall with disgust as he stared at the words on the plaque, and felt very glad that Chaos had decided to give the three boys new names. "Thank you," he whispered – relieved that the boys would no longer be known as Sephiroth Copies 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3.

' **Heh. I wasn't trying to help you,'** Chaos replied as Vincent pulled away from the boys and started to examine the other stasis pods.

He _hmphed_ in annoyance as the gunman came to a stop outside a capsule that contained the body of a beautiful red-haired woman, and sneered warningly as his host skimmed through the notes that Hojo had left behind on her in the journal that he had picked up. The woman floating about inside the green preservative fluids was dead as a doornail, and ignorant little Valentine was wasting their time trying to see if she could be saved. And even if she could be, Chaos scoffed, why would they want to revive someone whom had affectionately been nicknamed "Rosso the Torturess" by their least favorite doctor? Bringing back a crazy-psycho bitch lady would be just asking for trouble, and they already had their share of freaks to deal with. Good riddance. Thank god. It was for the best that Rosso the Sociopath had been reclaimed by the Planet, and Chaos hoped that his silly little host would realize that. **_Move along, there is nothing worth saving here_** were the dark creature's thoughts, as Vincent lowered his eyes, and said, "I feel sorry for her. It says here that she died on the operating table when Hojo was trying to give her enhancements…and that her brothers, Weiss and Nero, were placed in stasis and left behind in Corel."

Chaos cast an outraged look at the dead woman. **'What kinds of enhancements did the good Professor give her?'** he spat.

Vincent walked away from the stasis tubes, and said, "I…cannot tell. Hojo likes to be secretive about his experiments and the notes that he kept on Rosso are vague and state what he wanted to do – and not what he succeeded in doing to her. I suspect that he may have been trying to create an unstoppable female fighter."

' **Who would have been forced to marry Sephiroth if Hojo hadn't had accidentally killed her.'** Chaos hissed, straining to get a clear view of the journal that Vincent had unearthed. **'And give up her firstborn to the science department.'**

Amused rage bubbled up within him as he attempted to pick apart the scientist's musings and make out what he had written. Hojo's handwriting was hilariously atrocious, and his ideas were illogical and sounded absolutely insane. The sadistic little Professor had a huge Messiah complex, and it was extremely entertaining to read about how he planned on creating a super SOLDIER who would be able to fly, cast spells without the use of materia, and survive in a vacuum without air. And listening to him rant about all the failures that he was having was priceless. **'It is astonishing to me that people do not question the sanity of this untalented lunatic, and continue to bend over backwards to support him in his outrageous endeavors.'** Chaos snorted, once he had read his way to the bottom of the first page. ' **You humans are even stupider than I thought,'** he venomously added, **'and I am beginning to think that having a giant Meteor crash into the Planet will be the most merciful thing to ever happen to your kind. True, it will kill a lot of people, but if the intelligent ones survive the collision, it may not turn out to be such a bad thing… _HOST_ _?!'_**

Vincent narrowed his eyes at this heartless remark, but decided that the best thing to do would be for him to not dignify it with a reply. He turned his trying ally out and resumed his work - attacking the bookcases with renewed passion. He hurled documents that had been written before 1970 into the fireplace, and tossed anything that had been written after Sephiroth had been born into his bag. Hojo's journal found its way into a jar containing acid, and Hollander's diary got to experience what it was like to be ripped to pieces. Chaos cackled darkly as he crushed CD-Rs beneath his feet, scratched up disks with his clawed fingers and ran Professor Gast's diaries through the shredder. And when he smashed his gun through Hojo's computer screen, the demon gleefully said, **'Well done, Hojo will be in for a nice surprise when he returns to Nibelheim and sees the destruction that you have caused during his absence. Just imagine what he will think.'**

Vincent made a rude sound. "I don't want him to 'think' anything," he firmly told his companion. "If he realizes that I know about his plans, he will do something drastic, like –"

' **Silence, host,** ‘the demon commanded, and Vincent was disgusted to find that he had no choice but to obey.

The gunman's eyes changed color as Chaos took control of the body that they both shared. The demon smirked as he guided his host over to the fireplace. Vincent uttered a groan of protest as he watched his hellish counterpart help himself to the silver candlesticks on the mantle. _Stealing was not what I had in mind,_ the former Turk mentally vented, while Chaos glided around the room, searching for valuables. _Burglarizing this place…_

'… **will confuse your least favorite person,'** Chaos abrasively said. **'If we steal a few things, Hojo will think that a petty thief broke into his mansion and destroyed the place, looking for money!'** he added, right before he dropped Hojo's DOCTOR OF THE YEAR trophy on the cemented floor.

Vincent winced as the heavy trophy shattered into a million pieces – alerting every monster in the basement that there was something amiss in the library. He heard the pounding of feet on the stairs, and Chaos chose to relinquish control at that very moment and let him deal with the mess. As Chaos faded into the back of his mind with a melodic-sounding chuckle, he drew his gun and equipped the silencer. He aimed the barrel at the entrance and prepared to pump his enemy full of lead. _Eat this, you bloodthirsty little abomination,_ he snarled, as the door opened…

…and a young girl came charging into the room…

…and nearly slammed into him.

Vincent lowered his gun as the breath caught in her throat and she peered up at him with big brown frightened eyes. He remembered what Ifalna had told him about a girl being sent to free him and quickly said, "Don't be afraid – I will not hurt you!" in as gentle a voice as he could muster. "My name is Vincent Valentine, and I would like to know what you want with me. I take it that you have come to…to…"

"Free you?" Tifa whispered, eyeing the gun in his hand and the cruel-looking gold gauntlet that snaked up his arm with trepidation.

She noticed that his eyes were crimson-red, with occasional flashes of gold in them, and shivered. She trembled as she caught sight of Rosso, bobbing about in formaldehyde behind him, but recalled what her spiky-haired buddy had said about Mr. Valentine being imprisoned in a crypt, and steeled herself to face him. _I will **not** let you down, Cloud,_ she promised her childhood companion, as she turned to the frightening man standing in front of her, and forced herself to calmly say, "Hi, I'm Tifa…and my friend told me that you were in trouble. …Said that you were trapped down here…and asked me to find the key to your room upstairs and…"

… _release you,_ she trailed off, voice wavering as he stood in the open doorway.

As he peered out into the hall, she looked down at the key in her hands, and wondered why on earth the door to his cell had been unlocked when she had found him. She pensively touched the rounds of ammunition that he'd piled up on the table, gazed at the sleek hunting knife that he was now strapping to his belt, and realized that there was something very wrong with this picture. _I'm…beginning to think that Cloud made a mistake about Mr. Valentine,_ the bewildered young girl thought, with rapidly rising anger and embarrassment.

"You don't need my help, do you?" she sullenly asked Vincent at last.

Vincent swung his book-filled sack over his shoulder and shook his head. "No – I don't," he coldly replied, on his way out the door. "No creature in this mansion has the strength to kill me. However, you on the other hand…"

Tifa held her balled up fists up so that he would see that she was wearing studded fingerless gloves. She pointed to the blood-covered spikes and said, "I can look out for myself! I killed Missing Number to get the keys to the basement, and I can handle the other monsters just fine, no problem! I don't need you to walk me home, and my Father would blow his fuse if a Shinra policeman" – for that is what she assumed he was – "showed up at our place and told him that I'd snuck into the old mansion."

Vincent's eyes narrowed on hers. "Why did you sneak into the mansion?" he asked her point blank.

Tifa blanched at the question. "I-I was told that you were in danger," she stammered, knowing that Cloud would be in big trouble if she caved under pressure and he ripped the truth out of her, "but it looks like I made a huge mistake. I guess…that peeps thought it would be funny to pull a practical joke on me…and have a laugh at my expense, but…" The words choked in her throat as she tried her best to sound appropriately hurt and betrayed. "I don't think it was a very nice thing to do to me, because I truly thought that you'd become trapped down here. Or something."

The gunman looked over his shoulder and glared at Tifa. "Let's put a stop to the bullshit," he proposed, "and be honest with each other. I don't want to hear that your friends pulled a mean prank on you, and you don't want me to stand here and claim to be a prisoner. Or a human being. Because I'm not one."

Tifa froze at his words, and to prove his point, he rolled his lips back to show her his sharp fangs. He heard her gasp, and saw confusion in her eyes as his eyeteeth elongated. As her breathing became stertorous and ragged, he turned his back on her, and began to walk off. "I used to be a Turk," he dryly said, once he had put some distance between her and himself, "but I'm not anymore; Hojo decided to experiment on me, and now I am…"

"… **a monster,"** he allowed Chaos to finish for him.

"… _A-A monster_?" the young girl fearfully echoed what he had said, staring incredulously at Vincent as he fixed penetrating, now _golden_ irises on her.

Her arms and legs began to shake as his glittering eyes balefully bore into her, and silently commanded her not to run. She felt her toes curl up in her shoes as he seized her up, and it took every ounce of courage that she had to refrain from knocking him down and fleeing. The sight of him standing there at the end of the corridor, calmly breathing in death and decay, made her wonder if he was some sort of vampire. And as he raised his clawed hand and beckoned to her to follow him, she found herself praying that she would be able to take this man down if he turned on her and tried to drain her dry. "You're…you're not gonna hurt anyone, are you?" she gathered up the courage to ask him, after a minute of long, awkward silence. "Because if you are," she unconvincingly growled, "I'm gonna have to punch your daylights out and put you back in your cell where you belong! I don't wanna have to fight you, but I can't have you walk into Nibelheim and suck my Father's blood, Mr. Vampire!"

Vincent rolled his eyes as Tifa shook her fist at him. As she cracked her knuckles together to warn him that she meant business, he picked up his bag and walked even further away from her. "I do _not_ want to harm innocent people, but I will be forced to if you try to detain me, or run back to town and tell everyone that there is a 'vampire' on the loose." he sternly said. "Hojo tortured me - robbed me of my humanity – and destroyed the life of the woman I love – and I have no desire to remain in his house, waiting for him or the resident scientist to return and mistreat me. What I want, Tifa, is to find a secluded place in Nibelheim where I can read these books that I am hauling away with me; Hojo plans on using the information in them to hurt someone I care about, and I need to find proof to disprove his lies!" he practically spat.

Tifa's eyes fell upon the bulging bag slung over his back and thought maybe, perhaps, she could believe him. "How do you plan on eating?" she questioned him. "Don't vampires need blood?"

Vincent heaved a sigh and pointed angrily to his hunting knife – his patience entirely gone. "I am _not_ a vampire," he snapped. "I am a shape-shifter who has wasted over twenty-five years of my life hiding away from the world. I was locked up – by my own choice. I eat, drink, piss and bleed like you do, and I plan on hunting for my food in the mountains, because I would receive unwanted attention if I sat down to eat at the Inn. I do not plan on feeding on the townspeople, and am stunned that Cloud Strife would send such a foolish little girl to meet me," he cruelly said when she shook her God's Hand covered fist at him.

Tifa tensed and her face became still as he laid into her. She could detect the pain and anguish that he futilely tried to conceal in his voice, and solemnly watched him pace around the corridor with agitation.

Her eyes followed him as he strode up and down the damp hallway, unhappily gazing at the taxidermied monster heads that the resident scientist had decided to hang on the wall. Not a word left her lips as he breathed in the smell of formaldehyde, stared at the badly preserved trophies, and thought about how his humanity had rotted away before his eyes. As he hummed softly to himself to suppress the painful memories that her judgmental words had evoked, she came up behind him, and reached for his clawed hand. "I'm sorry," she whispered, fingers cautiously wrapping themselves around his metal-encased arm. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I just…wanted to make sure that you weren't gonna try to make people pay because they locked ya up or drink their blood. You kinda do look like a vampire. And I don't really know you and you don't really know me. And Cloud can be silly…and get easily impressed by the wrong kind of people…and think that they're the best thing ever. You could say that he's not the best judge of character," she nervously explained – eliciting an unimpressed snort from her companion.

Vincent pulled his arm away from her. "Please do not touch my hand," he dryly said. "You could cut yourself on my claws."

Tifa quickly put her hands behind her back. "S-sorry," she stammered. "I just…wanted to show…you that I…I want to help you."

 _I see._ Vincent glowered at Tifa, debating whether he could trust her. He was hesitant to, because she was fifteen-years-old and clearly terrified of him, but her apology sounded as though it came from the heart and he could see…no duplicity in her eyes. His pulse quickened and breath hitched in his throat as she reached for his bag, offering to carry it down the trail for him. And he was not sure what to think when she handed him a leather wallet packed to the brim with gil. "Why are you giving this to me?" he suspiciously asked her, with veiled eyes. "What is this for? Is this money to buy a ride out of Nibelheim?" he angrily wondered. "If it is, please take it back. I have no intention of leaving this place until I've destroyed these books and destroyed the monsters that Hojo's keeping inside the reactor. After that I'll go to Midgar and –" – **_crush Hojo's windpipe, disembowel him and torture him_** _,_ Chaos happily interjected _–_ "find a place to stay," he lied in order to protect her. "Look for work and see if…it is possible to…start a new," he added.

Tifa cringed. She suspected that his plans were not as innocent as they sounded, but decided not to press him for information. _I don't wanna hear about the things he's gonna do to Hojo,_ she told herself, as she pushed the wallet that he was holding out to her back into his hands, and said, "I don't want it. Take it. It's yours. Buy yourself supplies with it from the convenience store, or use the money to pick up a nice meal for yourself from the Inn! I don't care what you do with it, Mr. Valentine."

Vincent gave her a long, hard look. "Call me _Vincent,"_ he emotionlessly said. "Not _Mr. Valentine_. _Mr. Valentine_ sounds so…"

"Formal," Tifa said, feeling more at ease with him than she had felt before.

 _Yes, I suppose it does,_ Vincent thought. He nodded heavily to show he agreed with her, and raised a finger to his mouth, indicating that it was time to be quiet.

Tifa mouthed the word, "Okay!" and padded after him as he started to cautiously crawl up the ancient, dilapidated stairs. She shivered as he handed her his bag and brought out his gun, bringing it up to chest level. She drew in her breath as the rickety, dilapidated stairs creaked under their weight, and was on high alert as shadows flitted ominously over their head. Her shoulders trembled and sweat-soaked skin prickled as he pressed his ear to the wall, listening for footsteps. And her steps became leaden and forced as he knelt down and inspected fresh wet animal prints at the top of the wooden stairs. "Wha – what is it?" she whispered with urgency, momentarily forgetting his warning. "What have you found? What do you hear?" she hissed, hastily assuming a defensive stance. "Is there someone out there?"

Vincent caught Tifa by the arm and pulled her towards him as she attempted to peer around a corner. "Yes there is," he gravely said, pressing her to his chest. "There is a sickly old Sahagin that roams around the mansion, and these are its tracks. It will not attack me –" – _because Chaos crippled it for life when it tried to devour me as I slept –_ " – but it may try to steal you away. Stay close to me. Do not show any signs of fear or weakness, and you will be fine," he told her.

She shuddered. "Are you sure it won't attack you?" she asked, instinctively drawing closer to him. "Those things will attack anyone."

Vincent grimaced as he found himself holding her the way that he had once held Lucrecia. "Yes, I am certain," he replied, using his body to shield her as they inched into the dining room. "It knows that I carry the power of Chaos within me, and will avoid me at all costs."

Tifa blinked. "Who is Chaos?" she hoarsely whispered, remembering what her friend had told her about Vincent's bodyguard. "Is he a Summon?"

Vincent stiffened and turned his head to the side. "Who is Cloud?" he softly riposted to avoid answering the question. "And why should I work with someone who is _only_ sixteen?" he inquired, once they were in the middle of the room. "Or trust someone with an emotionally undeveloped mind?"

Tifa retaliated by wrenching her arm away from him and trying to slip free from his grasp. "Are you familiar with the phrase 'S-T-F-U?'" she bristled as they continued to crawl through the big room. "It's something we say to people who don't know what they're talking about, and I'm about ready to say it to you, because the things coming outta your mouth are lame, lame, LAME! Cloud's putting his education on the line to bust ya out of here, and all you can say about him is that he's this emotionally stunted little kid who's gonna cause problems for ya. Gee, last time I checked, emotionally stunted little kids cared only about themselves, and didn't go to such great lengths to help people!" she sarcastically added when Vincent shrugged his broad shoulders at her and acted as if the paintings on the wall were more interesting than the things she was saying. "And let's not forget that I'm risking my life coming here to save you from Hojo hell, Mr. Book-stealing Vampire," she said, gesturing dramatically to a taxidermied Sahagin head hanging from the wall.

_Oh great. Here. We. Go. Again._

Vincent snorted scornfully and retreated inwardly to get away from her. As he sought escape inside his head, Chaos laughed derisively at his discomfort and gleefully flexed cruel, spectral claws. **'If you surrender control of your body to me, I would be more than happy to teach the little girl how to treat grownups with respect,'** the demon proposed in a very super-saturated sounding voice. ' **In my experience, children become very reluctant to talk back at adults when they make them eat their words…'** the fiend purred, eyeballing a garden shovel and some potting soil. **'And corporal punishment, I hear, is also supposed to be an effective way of getting them to say 'please' and 'thank you.' If we were to give her some good ole Turk discipline, I am certain that she would say –'**

 _Please stop!_ Vincent snapped, on their way into the reception room. _Unless she betrays us, you are to do no harm to the young lady. Understand?_

' **No, I don't. You spoke too fast for me to hear you. Could you repeat what you said again?'** Chaos leered, snickering softly as he inspected the new room, and saw that it was filled with Venus fly traps and thorny plants.

He noticed that there was a Tifa-sized terrarium in the corner, and wondered what would happen if he tossed her into it and let her get acquainted with Hojo's little green friends. He shivered with dark delight as he pictured her landing face-down in the mess and accidentally ingesting poisonous nightshade leaves, but decided that it would be best not to antagonize his host with his murderous daydream when the resident scientist could walk in on them at any moment. **_I will save the aggravation for tonight,_** he vowed. Aloud to Vincent, however, he sourly said, **'Do not worry about the well-being of the intractable little _girl._ I will keep my claws off the loudmouthed child until you give the order to eviscerate _her.'_**

Vincent groaned as his loathsome ally mentally smirked at him. He smashed his knuckles against the wall in exasperation, and wearily said, _You're not allowed to lay a finger on the **boy** either. Or his friends. Or his parents_. "Cloud Strife and his family are–"

Tifa whirled around and glared at Vincent as he unintentionally voiced his thoughts to the room. "What about Cloud and his family?" she sharply asked him, assuming that he was speaking to her. "Is there something that you would like to know about them?"

Vincent pinched the bridge of his nose as she glowered at him. He did not want to answer her question, but could see no other way to get out of the situation that he was in. It was either pretend to be interested in Cloud, or tell her that he had been conversing with a bloodthirsty demon, and he doubted that _that_ explanation would go over well with her. _She will think I am a schizophrenic monster who hears voices in his head if I tell her about Chaos,_ he bitterly thought, as he looked at Tifa. "Y-y-yes," he stammered, "I suppose I do have a few questions about your friend…starting with how he found out about my existence! I have no recollection of ever meeting him, and can't imagine that he learned about me from Professor Hojo! I am one of the science department's best kept secrets, and the honest doctor would hurt your friend if he so much as mentioned my name around him. It makes me wonder if he hacked into the Professor's computer and read my file…"

"No, he didn't," Tifa hissed, recalling what Cloud had told her on the phone. "He said that he saw you when he was running around the mansion, and decided to find out who you were…"

"Did he now? I have no memory of such an encounter. It must have taken place…when I was asleep…" Vincent muttered.

He stared at Tifa in confusion, and Chaos did not help matters by letting out a loud, frustrated sigh. As he tried to figure out when this alleged run-in with Cloud could have occurred, the demon smacked its lips together and said, **'Brave little boys have tasty souls, and are a rare delicacy. A soul as strong as his would provide me with nourishment for an entire year…if I could feast upon –'**

 _Chaos, shut up,_ Vincent snapped.

He knit his brows as Chaos roared in rage at him, and Tifa mistook the rueful-looking frown on his face as an apology for the unjust things that he had said about her playmate. He sighed as she smiled uneasily at him, and decided that the best thing to do would be to let her carry on about Cloud on their way down the mountain. And ignore her. _There is nothing of interest for me to hear,_ he stubbornly told himself, as she smiled uneasily at him and nonchalantly said, "I found some important-lookin' documents in the safe when I went to get your key. I can't fight and lug docs around with me at the same time, so I stashed 'em away in this room to pick back up on the way out. My hands are full now, so…I kinda need you to take them. Otherwise – " – she shrugged – "they're gonna have to stay in the recycling bin where I left them!"

"Shit." Vincent grumbled as Tifa pointed to a plastic box by the door. He gave her an incredulous look - wondering what had possessed her to hide her treasure in the trash, of all places. He plunged his arms into the moist bin and began to sort through the trash, while she leaned against the wall, picked at the studs on her gloves and w _atched_ him sort through the mess.

Vincent huffed at her angrily as he pulled a thick leather album out of the bin. It was moist, of course, and had crap all over it. And was sticky to the touch. And smelled like feet. He turned up his nose in disgust as he plopped it down on the wooden counter, and could not resist saying, "This is the stupidest thing that I've ever seen anyone do!" as he reached for paper towels to wipe away the foul residue. "You are the most illogical little girl I've ever encountered," he nastily added when the paper towels rolled out of his grasp, "and I would like to know what you were thinking. Are you…?"

Tifa folded her arms as he opened the album and skeptically flipped to the first document. "…Mental?" she accusingly shot back at him. "Thick as a brick? I'm neither of those things, Mr. Snarky Vampire. I'm resourceful, kick ass and want to get these docs back to Cloud. And I'm smart enough to know there's no way on earth that that's gonna to happen if I leave them lying around on a table for a monster to walk off with or for the resident scientist to see."

 _Pfft._ Vincent rolled his eyes at her and started to read the document sitting in front of him. It appeared to be a birth certificate, and he was curious to see whose it was. "You may want to rethink all the glowing praise that you've given yourself," he started to say, but the words choked in his throat as he…

…skimmed down the page and saw…

… **his name** – _No -_ Lucrecia's name – _NO! -_ and **_Sephiroth's name_** – _NO!!!!! -_ printed on the certificate.

 _Nonononono! Gods no!_ Vincent let out a wordless cry as the three names mockingly leapt out at him. He violently hurled the album to the floor and pushed himself away from the bin. Weathered documents went flying across the room as his stomach lurched forward and the world came crashing down around him. As the soiled documents floated to the ground, the gunman shook his head in denial, and brought his hands up to his mouth. He swallowed several times to force the bile that was surging up in his throat back down into his stomach, and gazed at Tifa despairingly through shuttered, blurry eyes, as she rushed to his side. He felt her fingers close around his arm gauntlet-encased arm, and offered minimal resistance as she leaned into him and tried to offer him support and comfort. "What happened? What's wrong? Are you okay?" he heard her whisper as his head spun – his legs became leaden – and the room began to spiral out before him. "You're not gonna be sick on me, are ya? Because if ya are, I'm gonna need to run down the mountain and get help for ya!" she firmly told him.

Vincent forcefully squeezed her hand as her pulse quickened and panic started to set in. "I'm – not – sick," he rasped, fearing that she would go bolting off to find a First Aid kit. "I'm just…stunned…by the documents you found. I – thought that they would be lab reports. Never…in my wildest dreams," he murmured helplessly, "did I imagine that…I'd find Sephiroth's birth certificate…and that I, of all people, would be his… _father."_

Tifa picked up the birth certificate and placed it under the light. She read the names on the page warily, and carefully examined the signature at the bottom of the document to make sure that it was authentic. She exhaled loudly as she recognized the handwriting of the local notary, and gazed off into space, trying to come to grips with the incredible situation that they were in. "I – I – don't understand what's going on!" she choked. "Are…you saying that you are _Sephiroth's father_ and that all this time you never knew that you were a daddy?! How…the hell can that be?" she exclaimed with bewilderment she stared at her companion's bewitching, youthful features. "General Sephiroth's twenty-five-years-old and you look like you are barely _thirty,"_ she said with a gasp. "There's no way that you could be his dad unless…they did something to you…to slow down your aging."

Vincent nodded distractedly to indicate that shat she had guessed right. He covered his face with his hands and retreated. His eyes were full of horror as she turned away from him and hastily began to gather up the scattered papers. "You are right," he bleakly whispered. "I'm a thirty-year-old man, and…I'll…never show signs of my true age…thanks to Hojo…the bastard."

Tifa looked up at him - her features ashen. "Why did he do this to you?" she asked him, struggling for air. "Did he randomly choose you or did…?"

"…I do something to make him hate me?" Vincent cut her off and wearily slouched against the counter. "Yes – I did. I questioned his decision to perform experiments on human beings, threatened to take him before the ethics committee, and I…screwed his wife…" he managed in between forced, ragged breaths. "…Gave in to my feelings for her when she came to me and told me that she had had enough and was getting ready to leave Hojo," he rambled on. "...Picked her up, carried her into my room and made love to her…and then took her out for breakfast three days later and listened to her tell me that she regretted what she had done. That she had made a terrible mistake. That she had decided to stay with Hojo, because…she had discovered that she was pregnant…and leaving him would tear apart _his_ family. She said…"

"What?" Tifa urgently inquired, mind reeling at Hojo and Lucrecia's cruelty. "What did she say…?"

"She…said that Hojo had always wanted a little boy, and that she had confessed what she had done with me to her husband, and that he had gone ballistic! " the gunman replied. "…Told me that Hojo wanted me to stay away from her, because he had gotten this crazy idea in his head that I would taint their unborn child by being around her, and cause it to turn into a monster. …And said…that she wanted me to keep my distance as well, because _I_ had taken advantage of her in her vulnerable state!" he admitted to Tifa.

He turned away from her and bent down to pick up the album at his feet. It had landed face-up, by some miracle, and was flipped open to a page of photographs. And amongst those pictures, there was a portrait of…

'… **Sephiroth,'** Chaos happily purred, eagerly anticipating the destruction that would ensue once his host's horror turned to rage. **'Your poor – defenseless – fatherless - son.'**

"My…son?"

Vincent felt his body buckle as he slipped the photo out of its protective plastic cover. Uncertainty welled up inside him and knots formed in his stomach as he brought the image up to eye level. He remembered what Ifalna had told him about Hojo emotionally mistreating Sephiroth, and shivered, fearing that if he looked closely at the portrait he would see an angry, jaded person who had given up hope on the world. His shoulders trembled as he pictured what his son must be going through under Hojo's tender loving care, and Chaos' coldness cut him to the quick. As the demon gleefully repeated its mocking mantra – "Poor. Defenseless. Fatherless. Son." – he looked to the future, and wondered how he would be able endure living forever, if he failed to save the only remaining person whom he had left. His heart began to pound violently as he imagined himself roaming a lifeless Planet, and he turned wildly to the picture in his hand, forcing himself to meet the digitally-rendered eyes of his lost-child. A pained moan escaped from his lips as his tumultuous irises took in Her face - His height and build - Her grace and beauty - and his thick, wild hair. And everyone in the room heard him sigh with relief as he saw confidence and hope in his pixilated son's intense green eyes. _Hojo's attempts to mess with his head have failed,_ he excitedly thought, as Tifa leaned over his shoulder and cautiously said, "Whatcha gonna do now? Are you…gonna go to Midgar and tell Sephiroth that you're his daddy? And that you love him?"

Vincent dug his claws into the windowsill and raked them across the wood, leaving behind permanent scratch marks. "I don't know what I want to tell Sephiroth," he said, feeling more helpless than he had ever felt before. "He needs to know who his real mother is, but I am not sure that I want him to know who about me. He is going to have a hard enough time accepting what Shinra has done to him, and I don't want to burden him with the knowledge that his father is an abomination…who can barely control…his own demons."

Tifa closed her eyes and inhaled loudly. "Chaos," she guessed, finally understanding why Cloud had insisted that she tell Chaos to stand down.

The gunman nodded grimly and pressed the album to his breast, clinging to it tightly as though he were hanging on to it for dear life. "Yes," he told her. "Chaos and I are bound together, and he knows that you want to help and will not hurt you…unless you attempt to hurt me."

"And Hojo…?" she wanted to know.

"Will be forced to atone for what he has done," was the dreaded reply. "He experimented on Sephiroth, drove Lucrecia insane, and robbed me of my humanity; when I travel to Midgar, I will pay him a visit and...let him have a taste of Chaos," he added to his monstrous ally's delight.

Tifa paled and threw down the sack that she had promised to carry, causing books to spill everywhere. "You –"

" _I_ have no choice, you stupid little girl. It needs to be done!" Vincent exclaimed, rising to his full height. "The man is a sociopath and enjoys taking peoples' lives. He murdered Ifalna and her husband, and will kill other people if I do not stop him once and for all," he snapped at her.

"I – I see." Tifa stammered, not knowing what else to say to someone who planned on committing murder themselves. "That's your view. Gotcha. Well…let's go," she shakily added, right before she ducked under his outstretched arm.

Vincent felt like banging his head against a wall as she darted away from him and made a beeline for the front door. He watched with alarm as she hurriedly unfastened the bolts and undid the chain, but decided not to say anything – his heart telling him that she would not run back to town that she knew what he and Hojo were capable of doing to people who crossed them. His lips thinned into a grim smile as she confirmed his guess by making a big show out of veering off to the side to give him sufficient room to pass by without touching her. And as he padded past her to retrieve his bag, he retreated into his head and opened up his mind to Chaos – hiding nothing from him. _Do you think I did the right thing,_ he unhappily asked the ancient creature. _Telling her about the vile things that Hojo's done and revealing my monstrous nature to her_ –

' **Were two things you that you needed to do,'** Chaos reassured Vincent. ' **If you had not been upfront with her, you would have forfeited her trust in the long run, and on the bright side, you now know that there are women out there who won't scream and faint when you tell them about your true nature. With that in mind, I suggest that you… give the loudmouthed brat the full story… forget about Lucrecia and… start thinking about taking a new mate,'** he maliciously added to rattle his host and prevent him from having another "But I'm a Monster" meltdown.

His nasty taunts had the desired effect, for Vincent came to a halt, stopping dead in his tracks. The emotionally exhausted narrowed his eyes and angrily said, _I can't believe that you suggested that I do something so cruel and disgusting. What kind of heathen Lifestream did the Planet raise you in,_ the poor man raged.

Chaos whistled innocently and clacked his spectral claws together. He grinned as his host wrung his hands in exasperation and started to lecture him about Tifa being off limits until she was eighteen. As Vincent huffed, puffed and turned red in the face, the demonic creature asked himself how the hell his host could have read "romance" in his words when he had repeatedly made his distaste for Lockhart known. **_It appears he wasn't paying attention when I offered to shovel potting soil down the brat's throat,_** the fiend thought with a shrug. **_Oh well – lesson learned: in the future, have terrible threats be accompanied with disturbing mental images, showing what I plan on doing to the people I don't like. If that doesn't get the point across, then commence with Plan C, which will involve fetching my torture tools and giving a live demonstration to illustrate what words and visuals have failed to convey. Should that fail, then…fly down to the nearest goddess shrine and beseech Minerva to find me a new vessel._**

' **Wanted: new host,'** Chaos growled, when listening to Vincent rant started to become boring. **'Must have at least one brain cell and must not misconstrue a homicidal demon's intentions. Angst-filled vampires, whiny people and parents who want to protect their kids from seeing blood and gore need not apply,'** he spat, now regretting that he had provoked his host.

 ** _You are starting to really piss me off,_** he seethed, and Vincent seemed to get the message, for the gunman shut up and said, "I'm sorry that I spoke to the two of you so harshly, and lashed out at you!" to both he and Tifa. "I…have had a rough day and am not…myself."

"Yeah, I...understand. The father revelation had to have been a shock. Apology accepted." Tifa said, reluctantly pulling herself away from the front door to help Vincent.

Her clammy fingers quivered at the knuckles as she held the heavy door open for him, and as he impassively swept by her, she lowered her eyes to avoid making eye contact with him. As his claws gleamed dangerously in the rapidly fading light and weapons shimmered ominously at his side, she found herself wondering if manipulating him into killing Hojo had been what Cloud secretly had been aiming to accomplish this entire time. _G-Gods I hope not,_ she shuddered on her way out the door, knowing that she would never be able to forgive her childhood friend for using her and Mr. Valentine in such a cruel manner if her terrible fears turned out to be true. _I hope not, I hope not, I hope not, I…_ "I hope not," she whispered through clenched teeth, projecting her doubt and uncertainties into the world. "I hope not, Cloud."

"You hope not…what?" Vincent asked her in a clipped tone. "What are you…ahh, I see," he said, noticing that her eyes were glued to the album in his arms. "You're having a hard time dealing with the discovery we just made," he erroneously guessed, much to Tifa's discomfort.

"Yeah," she nervously mumbled as his once again golden irises bore into her. "I-I am," she rasped, nerves failing her as Chaos took over and caused Vincent's gorgeous lips to twist into a sadistic smile. "The day's been full of surprises, that's for sure, Mr. Valent –"

" **Chaos. Harbinger of the End. Lord of Demons. Emissary of the Planet,"** "Vincent" glacially replied. **"Foolish little Valentine was being a drag, second guessing himself, so I banished him to his room and emerged to spend some quality time in the real world. And now that I am here, I would like to become acquainted with you on our way down the mountain. We –"**

 _Chaos, what the hell do you think you are doing?!_ Vincent butted in. _This is not the time to – shit!_

He swore as Chaos forced him to snap fingers that he could no longer control in Tifa's face, and groaned in protest when the demon laughed darkly at her. From inside the body that they shared, he watched in disgust as their young friend trembled, paralyzed by the sight of him leering at her like a ghoulish villain from a macabre horror show. He heard her swift intake of breath as Chaos grinned toothily at her, and grimaced as the color drained from her face and she cast frantically about, seemingly searching for an escape route. As the hair rose on her arms, her head spun and the world seemed to spiral out wildly around her, he let out a mighty bellow and started thrashing about, fighting to regain control. _You gave your word that you would not lay a claw on her,_ he snarled when Chaos began to hungrily eye her beefy legs and torso. _You promised me that you would leave her in piece,_ he sputtered as he futilely attempted to overcome Chaos' immense willpower. _You said that you would wait until I gave you permission to eviscerate her! You…!_

' **Vincent, shut up,’** Chaos venomously replied.

He turned to Tifa and gave her a withering look as his host continued to rant and rage. **"Vincent is being difficult,"** he explained, in his most bored-sounding voice, **"and is throwing a most unbecoming tantrum. He is currently _caterwauling_ loudly in my ears, and threatening to do harm to our shared body, if I even so much as look at you the wrong way. At this very moment, he is saying, 'If you decapitate her, I will jump into the reactor, and force you to spend an eternity floating in the Lifestream…'" **

Tifa paled at the implied threat and started to back away towards the trail. "Would you decapitate me?" she asked "Vincent," barely succeeding in pushing the words out. "Would ya turn on me after I've risked my life to help you and your son?" she said.

Chaos smirked as her fearful brown eyes somehow managed to meet his own, and before Tifa could turn and flee, he glided forward and seized her hand. He hummed softly as he brought it up to his face, examining the purple veins popping out of her wrists with interest. He had never seen someone with such prominent veins before, and momentarily toyed with the idea of cutting them open and timing how long it would take for her to die on the road. **_I bet you bleed fast,_** the fiend gloated to cause his host more grief and consternation. To Tifa, however, he said, **"You're wearing God's Hand fists…which are typically only worn by Monks. Are you training to become a martial artist? And is your friend, Cloud, also learning how to fight with hand to hand weapons? Or is he being taught how to fight with a sword?"**

Tifa jerked her hands away and shrank back from the grotesque man who was asking her all these intrusive questions. "Yea-ah, I…am," she stuttered, "and I don't know what Cloud's being taught. He told me that they teach swordsmanship over there, but I've also heard that they're into all sortsa things. Th-the heada the Turks, for example, is supposed ta be the best marksman in the world, and Commander Rhapsodos is supposed to be a world-class magic user…"

Chaos sneered and drew Vincent's gun. He pointed it at a hawk soaring above their heads and fired at it, hitting it before she even had time to realize that he had equipped a weapon. As the bird screeched and went into its death spin, he blew on the barrel and cackled. **"Never say that in my presence again,"** he commanded her. **"I am the finest marksman in the world, and 'th-the heada the Turks' is a seedling, just took root next to me!"** he arrogantly replied, cruelly mocking her. **"And don't ask me if I am going to shoot you,"** he snapped at her, fearing that she would start screaming if he did not say something to reassure her that she wasn't going to receive a bullet to the brain. **"Vincent made me swear not to hurt you, and I plan on keeping my promise to him…provided that you keep your mouth shut, answer my questions honestly, and do as you're told at all times,"** he scornfully said. **"Understand?"**

Relief appeared in Tifa's eyes as he put the gun away. She nodded weakly to show she understood and fought hard to regain her composure as he turned his back on her and started to briskly walk down the Nibelheim trail. "D-don't worry. I don't plan on telling anyone about you. People would think I was crazy if I told them that there was a shape-shifting shooter – guy running around Nibelheim, and I want to keep Cloud and my father off Hojo's radar for, like, forever," she stammered, following closely behind him. "And ya don't have to worry about me being dishonest with ya, cause I detest lying, and uh, I'll do whatever ya tell me to do," she desperately said to the scowling, grumpy demon. "Just name it and I'll get it for ya."

 ** _Oh, will you now?_** Chaos looked over his shoulder, golden eyes sparkling greedily as he thought about all the tedious things that he did not want to do. **"Go into town and buy a pillow some blankets, a PHS, and a tent for my host,"** he barked, deciding that it might not be so bad to have an annoying little loudmouthed _slave_ girl at his disposal. **"And on your way back, please stop by the grocery store and pick up some food for me,"** he told her. **"I have not had a proper meal in over twenty-five years, and I am starving."**

Tifa blinked as Vincent's hunting knife was thrust into her arms. "What do you want me to do with this?" she asked him, gaping at the sharp blade. "Do you want me to buy a rabbit for you from the butcher and skin it?" she wondered, hoping that he would not ask her to prepare game animals for him.

Chaos smirked at her and gestured to the cemetery that they had just passed. **"No, don't do that,"** he said, hungrily taking in the marble mausoleums and weather-worn tombstones. **"Rabbit…can be very difficult to digest. Just…stop by the graveyard and cut me off an arm for me to munch on,"** he purred. **"The fresher, the better. I can't stand eating meat that is several days old,"** he gravely said…

…as she ran to a bush and threw up her lunch.


	18. Rufus

**Chapter Eighteen - Rufus**

_Junon - εуλ 0000_

Rufus Shinra folded his arms, frowning as his father rose to greet Professor Hojo, and welcome the oily little scientist into their home. The President had promised him that they would have a private family dinner to celebrate his birthday, but had gone back on his word when he had learned that their acclaimed doctor was passing through their neighborhood, and Rufus was now pissed as all get out. As his father's bosomy, exotic young maid cleared a spot for Hojo at the table, the young Vice President pinched his nose and wondered if his old man would hold it against him if he chose to discreetly slip away when an opportunity presented itself. _Get. Me. The. Hell. Outta. Here_ , he pleaded, as his father cleared his throat and motioned for him to stand. "Professor Hojo has been nominated for a science award, and I think that we should drink to his achievements, health and future glory," he heard his detestable guardian say. "Would you do mind performing the honors and composing a few words for the doctor, my boy?" the President jeered at him.

 _Yes, I would,_ Rufus quietly shuddered, grimacing as a wineglass was plopped onto his plate. _I don't want to do anything for you and your ugly friend,_ he seethed, arrogantly raising his head to meet Hojo's expectant, eager gaze. Aloud to the parties at the table, however, he merely said, "Congratulations. Let's drink to your success. Cheers."

The President gave his son a withering look as he violently smashed his wineglass against the Professor's hand, causing champagne to topple over the sides and spill onto the lacy tablecloth. "I was hoping you would put more passion and effort into your speech," he tersely said, eyes roving over the trophies Rufus had won for his public speaking. "The words that just came out of your mouth sounded uncouth and ineloquent," he added to humiliate the boy. "Perhaps I should have asked Captain Highwind to give the toast instead?" he icily said when his son ignored his words and helped himself to the lemonade that the cook was ladling out. "I heard that he is a gifted speaker."

Rufus shrugged, attempting to project indifference. _Then hire him,_ he came close to saying, as he smiled contritely at his father and said, "I am sorry that I did not put more effort into my speech," in his most angelic-sounding voice. "I tried to do a good job, but….it very hard to perform your best when you are coming down with the flu. In lieu of my being sick, I think that I should take my –"

"Have some clam chowder stew," Hojo suggested in a tone of forced concern. "It is easy to eat and will make you feel better, my poor child," he cooed, countenance becoming cruel as he thrust a warm bowl of soup into the disobedient boy's hands.

"Gah." Rufus hissed as Hojo closed his fingers around the scalding bowl, forcing him to cut it in his hands. He suppressed a cry of pain as heat seared through his fingerless gloves, burning his tender palms, and moaned when steam drifted up his nose, irritating his sensitive nostrils. As sauce and vegetables sloshed about, splattering across his skin, he swore under his breath. And when Hojo reached across the table and dropped an oversized spoon into his bowl that caused even more spatter, he nearly lost it. "Please don't do anything else," he snapped, inhaling sharply through clenched teeth. "I…don't want you to go out of your way to help me, Professor –" – _Pig-faced Piece of Shit –_ " – when we're celebrating your accomplishments. It…just wouldn't feel right to me, if you know what I mean," he groaned, somehow managing to guide the bowl over to the table.

"Yes, we know what you mean," President Shinra replied with a dark chuckle.

He grinned at Hojo as his son nursed his wounded fingers and gave the grizzled Professor a knowing look. The wizened man stared at his cold companion for a moment, and then exclaimed, "Oh, of course! How could I forget…"

… _That you dropped a pot of soup on Ellen's lap to punish her for getting uppity with you,_ Hojo mentally smirked, right before he started laughing.

President Shinra nodded sagely as Hojo covered his hand with his mouth and sniggered. As his dinner guest quivered with delight, he stared at the chair that his late wife had been sitting in when he had poured soup all over her lap, and wondered if the burns she had received had made pissing and lying down painful. They certainly had made showering excruciating, he thought with amusement, recalling how she had scrubbed herself down with a wash cloth so she wouldn't have to set foot in the bathtub. _And I imagine that they made going in to see the doctor unbearable,_ he laughed, as he imagined Hojo poking and prodding her raw, blistering skin while he had examined her during her physical. "When we fly down to Costa del Sol this weekend, I want to hear how things went in your office," he coolly told the Professor, "starting with what you saw when you walked into the receiving area. You never told me what happened during her appointment, and I am sure that the full story would be an excellent way to pass the time, my talented friend."

Rufus raised a blond eyebrow, wishing he knew whom they were referring to. "Are we talking about a nurse?" he asked, even though he knew that asking was futile. Hojo and his father loved to make him feel like he was _persona non grata,_ after all, and exclude him from their conversations. "Or a doctor?" he dangerously inquired, resentment rising yet another level. "I am curious."

"We were discussing Doctor Rayleigh," Hojo smoothly lied. "I am sending her across the continent to deliver potentially groundbreaking information on the SOLDIER program to my associate in Corel…and if I have my way, it will be a one-way trip for her. She irritates me with her questions, and I would love for the simple-minded woman to be transferred to another company and become someone else's problem. If the transfer is denied," he drawled on, giving President Shinra a sharp, warning look, "then I'll just have to take matters into my own hands and give Rayleigh the _axe_ myself. At least this way she'll have a chance to salvage her unworthy life…and career."

Rufus nodded distractedly and gazed out the window as the Professor continued to rant about Rayleigh. He stared at the train chugging past their summer-home, and wondered if Hojo planned on having Rayleigh depart by rail. _If she were to leave by train,_ he mused, _it would be easy for Elfé and Fuhito to intercept her and steal the information that she would be carrying. And losing classified data to AVALANCHE would be a tremendous blow to my father's credibility,_ he told himself with excitement. "Tell me when you'll be getting rid of her," he said, "and what mode of transportation you'll be using, so I can see her off myself! Doctor Rayleigh annoys me, as well, and it makes me very happy to hear that you plan on sending her away to plague other people. One less stupid person in the organization is –"

"You mean we don't have room for _any_ strong-willed bitches in this company, boy," President Shinra corrected him, irises blazing as his son's words caused him to think about unpleasant things that had happened during the course of his marriage. "Rayleigh is not stupid; she graduated from one of the top medical schools in Midgar and has received several awards for her work. Unfortunately, all this recognition has gone to her head, and she has turned into an arrogant, loudmouthed bitch who believes that she can bully the Professor into giving her everything she wants," he said. "And that is why she has to be transferred to Corel."

Rufus' lip curled up in disgust as Hojo held his wineglass high over his head and said, "Let's drink to Doctor Rayleigh. Cheers. May that willful woman rot in hell..."

… _With Ellen,_ President Shinra thought, fixing angry blue eyes upon an expensive silver dish that he had bought his wife when he had still been deluded into believing that she loved him. _Those two deserve to keep each other company,_ he raged, while his busybody son engaged Hojo and attempted to weed information out of the older man. "What kind of information is Doctor Rayleigh going to have on her?" he heard the boy ask over the sound of their wineglasses clinking loudly together. "Is it going to be…newsworthy information that will bring you international acclaim and recognition again? And will it make the foolish people who support Hollander realize that you are the greatest scientist of all time?"

"Rufus, what are you…doing…?" President Shinra sighed heavily as Rufus plopped down in the chair beside the Professor and gazed at him with exaggerated awe and adoration in his eyes. He glowered at his trying son and kicked him, slamming his shoe into his foot under the table. When that failed to make an impression on the intractable child and put a stop to his foolish prattle, the elderly man banged his hand against the table and said, "I'm sorry that he is wasting your time you with all these ridiculous questions. He wants to go into business law, and every now and then gets it into his head to start playing attorney with people. The best thing you can do when he gets like this is to claim that the information he wants needs to be subpoenaed and that usually shuts him –"

Hojo laughed lightheartedly at his boss – silencing him mid-sentence. He waggled his finger scoldingly at the embarrassed old man, and playfully arched a black eyebrow at him as he sank back into his cushioned chair. He was well-aware that Rufus was attempting to manipulate him, but was in a good enough mood not to take offense to the boy's shenanigans. Rich tasting king crab legs sautéed in butter always had a calming effect on him, and it tickled him that the Vice President was stroking his ego and presenting him with an opportunity to talk shit about his rival, Hollander. _It has been awhile since I've disparaged the Cancer Patient,_ the sated scientist realized, gleefully rubbing his hands together in anticipation of the fun that he was about to have. _A very long while. Six months since Hollander was told he had less than a year to live,_ he reminded himself, as he giggled at Rufus and told him to, "Go on, go on. Don't feel intimidated by your father. I don't mind if a future lawyer places me on the witness stand and interrogates me. Ask me whatever you want to know, and I will answer your questions as though I was under oath."

"Okay, then start by telling me about the information Rayleigh's carrying with her to Corel, and why it is 'groundbreaking,'" Rufus immediately said. "And why," he wondered, "would you give sensitive information to a person whom you dislike?"

Hojo snorted derisively at Rufus. He placed his hand under the boy's chin and forced the young Vice President to look up at him, all the while saying, "Because I like to set people up to fail; if she peeks at the files en route to Corel, it will give me all the ammunition I need to have her stripped of her security clearance…and publicly humiliated. And the public loves to see greedy little snatches get their come-uppance."

Rufus recoiled as the Professor stuck his bean-pole thin nose into his face. "What makes you so sure that she will look at the files?" he strained, turning his head to the side. "Are they –"

"Irresistible for a nosy little woman like Rayleigh?" Hojo cut him off and held up a CD-R for him to see. "I would say so, yes! They contain information on Sephiroth that the greedy snatch and the clueless cancer patient would be very interested in reading. And this highly confidential, password protected disc contains detailed reports describing the experiments that I performed on our bull-headed general," he wheezed, pale face reddening with anger as his eyes fell upon a magazine that featured an interview with…Genesis. The loudmouthed little punk whom had gone crying to Director Lazard about him "torturing" Sephiroth in the lab. And who had forced him to cut back on the amount of time that he spent with his greatest achievement.

It took all his self-control not to rip the magazine to shreds as he skimmed through the interview and perused the 3-page picture spread that went with the piece. A cold, heartless smile crept across his face as he gaped at photos of Genesis rescuing SOLDIERs in Wutai; disarming bombs from a car; and providing valuable tactical information to the Turks. And his malignant eyes narrowed when he turned the page and saw that they had included an image of Genesis deflecting one of Sephiroth's strongest attacks. "'Move Aside,'" he spat, blood pressure rising as he read the caption beneath the offensive photograph. "'The World…Needs a New Hero,'" he added with a scowl, barely managing to force the words out. "Disgusting. Bullshit.

"The _woman_ who wrote this article needs to be fired. It is loaded with bias and paints an exaggerated picture of SOLDIER 1st Class Genesis. People might read this article and think that Genesis has surpassed Sephiroth!" he dryly said. "See. For. Yourself."

Rufus let out an indignant sound as the magazine was rudely thrust into his arms. He unceremoniously dumped it on the table and smiled frostily at Hojo as the Professor pointed melodramatically to a photograph of Genesis corkscrewing through the air. "I am afraid I fail to see what you are seeing, dear Professor," he insincerely said, at his rudest again now that he had manipulated Hojo into giving him the information that he wanted. "Nothing in this picture makes me think that they are trying to say that Genesis is better than Sephiroth. Or portray him that way. All I see is a terrible photo of an arrogant 1st showing off for some easily-awed people at an army recreation center. I think you are reading far too much into this, Professor," he purred, voice oozing with perverse pleasure as the paranoid little Professor huffed and puffed indignantly at him.

Hojo picked up a pen and angrily drew a circle around the tree in the background of the picture. "Do you see this?" he growled. "It stands outside the gym in Costa del Sol, and is around twenty feet tall."

Rufus rolled his eyes and helped himself to the delicious-looking scallops sitting in front of him. "Yes, I see it," came his disinterested response. "It's tall. It's leafy. It's green. It's a tree. What about it? Did you plant it yourself?" he mildly inquired. "Rude told me that you have become interested gardening, and that you have been _trying_ to grow plants," he said, with thick emphasis on the word "trying," because he had heard horror stories about Hojo's attempts to grow medicinal herbs in the past. "Is this tree…?" he trailed off.

Hojo made a fist and held it up threateningly. "Mine? No," he venomously shot back. "I have no interest in growing trees, and I do not want to talk about them. What I want you to do is take a second look at this photo, and see how they edited it so that it would show him _soaring_ high above a twenty-foot tall tree without the aid of a pole. And after you are done looking at it, I want you tell me whether you still think that I am 'reading too much into this photo.' In my opinion –"

"It is highly unlikely that _this_ picture was edited to exaggerate Genesis's talents, because it was taken by a stubborn photographer who does not give people permission to change the meaning of his images," President Shinra cut in, deciding that it was time to put an end to the conversation before Hojo and his son got into it at the dinner table. "I have worked with him in the past, and he has canceled his contracts with magazine editors whom have put pressure on him to alter his work," he explained. "Therefore," he continued, with finality in his voice, "I am going to assume that this image accurately depicts SOLDIER 1st Class Genesis' abilities…and turn my thoughts to desert – cigars – and your achievements! Is there anything that I can do for you, my accomplished friend, that will help you in your endeavors?"

A twisted smile spread across Hojo's face. _"Anything?"_ the scientist inquired, because he wanted to force the President to repeat what he had just said. "Anything that I ask for?"

"Yes, anything," the President immediately answered without the slightest bit of hesitation. "You have been an asset to this company, and have helped me –" – _remove a nasty woman from my life –_ "resolve problems. Let me reward you now for your hard work."

The Professor clucked his tongue, and rubbed the palms of his hands together as he savored the moment. He gazed at his employer with triumph in his grey eyes and said, "Then fire the cancer patient when you return from your vacation at the end of the week. He has become too sick to provide adequate care to his patients, but refuses to stop seeing them, because he has developed 'feelings' for them. Disassociate yourself from him and let him go before you find your company sued for his incompetence."

President Shinra waved his hand, acquiescing to the request. "Consider it done," he said, relieved that Hojo's rival would now be out of contention for a science award. "I will inform him at the end of this week that he is to stop seeing patients and tell him he needs to transfer care of Genesis and Angeal to another doctor."

Hojo laughed nasally at the President, finding the idea that Genesis and Angeal be placed under the care of anyone other than himself to be absurd. "Don't do that," he said, with such force in his voice that the servants stuck their heads out of the kitchen to look at him. "Re-assign. Them. To. Me. Instead. I do not want my rivals to exploit Hollander's patients, and use them to springboard their way to fame, and I would like to run some tests on Hewley and Rhapsodos myself! I fear that the Commander and First Sergeant may have been harmed by the cancer patient, and feel that I should take accountability for the mistakes that he has made, and oversee their recovery. And prevent you from being sued," he lied to his boss, fighting hard to keep a straight face as he pictured himself performing humiliating medical procedures on Hollander's redheaded creation.

The President could care less what happened to Angeal and Genesis. "You may have them," he told the Professor, "and do as you will with them. You are the most qualified doctor that I have, and I am confident that you will provide them with the finest treatment possible. Do you desire anything else?"

Hojo eyed his co-workers warily and gestured to a picture of Director Lazard. The President cringed and Rufus blanched as the Professor picked up the photograph of his illegitimate half-brother, and placed it before them. "I want you to re-assign the Director and place him in charge of Urban Development," the cunning doctor said. "Tuesti undermines me with his better-living-conditions, more-accessible-medical-care-for-the-poor arguments, and I want him gone. Lazard would see that the money Tuesti siphons away for the poor goes to the science department where it belongs if he was the new UD head," the Professor argued, knowing that he would need to appeal to their greed in order to get rid of the Director and fill Lazard's job with a yes-men. "Can it be done, and can the transition be made promptly?"

Rufus bared his teeth at the Professor as he made his suggestion and warningly slammed his fists against the table. He slid forward in his chair and defiantly thrust out his jaw at Hojo, all the while saying, "No. Absolutely not. Don't do it, Father. Director Lazard has too much power already, and the last thing I want is to place him in a position where he will someday be able to vie for the Vice Presidency. Fire Tuesti if you like, but do not give his job to Lazard Deusericus, or you will regret it!"

The President listened to Rufus' outburst and decided that they could not afford to take a chance with Lazard. He mistrusted the Director and questioned whether the young executive would indeed do as Hojo had said he would, and cut back on the amount of money that went into Urban Development. "I am afraid that I am going to have to say no to that request, and any other requests like it," the overweight man firmly replied. "Lazard has made statements in the past that make me fear that he would use his new position to push a pro-poor people Agenda. Please ask me for a favor that does _not_ involve promoting him to the Board of Directors," he continued with visible irritation now in his eyes.

Hojo reluctantly nodded his head – accepting the decision, but not liking it. He angrily crushed his napkin in his hand and leaned half-way across the table, making sure that he invaded the President's personal space. "If you will not promote Lazard, will you place me in charge of him, so I can directly oversee his work?" he whined, in a high-pitched pleading tone of voice that made Rufus want to smack him. "He is an intelligent man, but is weak-willed and spineless, and allows himself to be bullied into making poor decisions. The general and the commander walk over him, forcing him to give them preferential treatment, and Sephiroth boasts that he is in charge of SOLDIER, and Director Lazard is nothing but hired office help. If I had authority over the Director, I would put an end to the bullshit in his department and teach him how to become a strong and effective leader," he sniveled, much to the Vice President's annoyance.

Rufus sneered at Hojo as the Professor fawned all over his father, and decided to defy his dad's wishes and bail on their family dinner. _If I do not get out of here NOW,_ he fumed, _I will go crazy and do something that I will regret to Hojo!_

He rose to his feet and picked up his plate, acting as if he was heading into the kitchen to get desert.

His father glared at him as he hurried out of the room, but was too embarrassed to chastise him for his rude behavior in front of a valued co-worker, and prudently avoided saying anything to him. He heard the President say, "If the situation is as bad as you say it is, I will consider letting you supervise Lazard!" to Hojo as he made a beeline for the front door. And he felt very relieved when loud music from the next townhouse over drowned out the Professor's snide reply. _Sometimes it can be nice to have an obnoxious family living next door,_ the blond haired brat thought. "Very nice indeed," he murmured, as he threw open the door and walked right into Tseng, who was skulking in the shadows outside their townhouse.

Rufus straightened himself up proudly as the Turk's suspicious black irises bore down upon him and their eyes met. He returned the assassin's unspoken greeting, and then strode on over to the lawn chair Tseng had been sitting in before he had come outside. The Turk's eyes narrowed as he made himself comfortable in the chair and brought out an expensive cigarette lighter that he had pilfered from his father. "Would you care for a cigarette?" the Vice President wondered. "I have an extra cigarette, and thought that you might enjoy having a smoke with me while we sit out here, waiting for my father and Professor Hojo to wrap up their lively little discussion. They have been in the dining room…arguing about whom they should hire… and whom they should fire, and you will never believe which names came up," he said with a laugh, daring Tseng to ask him for more information.

Tseng stiffened at his boss' ominous-sounding words, but resisted the urge to press him for names. He suspected that the manipulative young Vice President had come outside to put him to the test, and politely held up his hand to indicate that he did not want to discuss this topic with him. "I'm sorry, but I must ask you to change the subject. I am not interested in hearing about those kinds of details," he apologized, when Rufus failed to take the hint and mouthed the name of one of the people whom Hojo wanted to get rid of. "I would feel like I was betraying the President and the Professor if you gave me names, and I would be worried about generating conflict between you, your father and myself," he hastily added, fearing that the easily offended boy would misconstrue his request and think that he was being rude to him. "I –"

"I don't need a five-minute long explanation," Rufus shot back. "You have made yourself quite clear."

"So…I have," Tseng reluctantly answered. He pulled back as his spoiled young companion clicked his lighter, and white flame geysered into the air, shooting up between them. "Thank you for understanding, Rufus," he said with badly concealed relief in his voice.

"You are welcome, Wutaian," the Vice President replied, shrugging arrogantly as he lit up.

"Wait." Tseng put his hand on Rufus' shoulder and gestured towards the area that he had been standing in. "Move your chair back here," he ordered his companion. "You are sitting out in the open, without cover," he explained, "and there are people in town whom are not fond of you and your father. If such a person were to drive by, see you sitting on the lawn, and decide to take a shot at you –"

" -Then he would be dead before he even knew what hit him!" Rufus reassured his bodyguard as he reached into his trench coat and pulled out his brand new handgun. He brought the weapon up to his chest, pointed it at Tseng and gazed at him arrogantly. "I have gunned down hawks, flying at top speeds, and shot down robots that were moving at 60+ miles per hour," he informed the Turk. "I would have no problem gunning down a sniper, and I would do it too…to save my life…and set an example for all the people out there."

Tseng tensed as Rufus pressed the barrel of his weapon against his stomach. "I would appreciate it if you would put that gun away," he strained, struggling to maintain his composure as the loaded weapon slid across his skin. "Even the most experienced gunmen can have accidents," he reminded Rufus.

Rufus smiled malignantly at his companion and held up the bag of .38 caliber shells that he carried everywhere with him. He dangled them tauntingly in the Turk's face and watched as the older man flinched. Harsh, dark laughter rose up in his throat as Tseng looked at him questioningly, asking him without words if his weapon was loaded. _Maybe it is, maybe it isn't,_ the Vice President silently jeered at his bodyguard. To Tseng, however, he said, "If I have not killed another person by the time that I've become President, I want you to find someone for me to shoot. Make it a Wutaian extremist, who hasn't seen the error of his ways like you have, and…bring him to me when the city is celebrating my ascension, and I am in the hearts and minds of everyone in the world. Lead him out to the landing strip as they wrap up the parade held in my honor, and hand me my double-barreled sawed off shotgun. Make a big show out of giving it to me, and make sure that you do it in a way that angers people and makes the blood in their veins run cold.

"Fail to do so, and I will consider this event a failure," the brat snapped. "Let me down, and I will see to it that you are shipped back to Wutai. Nothing must go wrong when this execution occurs or people will think that I am weak like my father, and going to make the same mistakes as him."

Tseng sighed as Rufus placed his finger on the trigger of his gun and made a rapid clicking motion to demonstrate how quickly he would pump bullets into the prisoner's brain. He listened to the young Vice President carry on about broadcasting the execution on TV, and wondered when the boy would realize that he was not going to get under his skin with all his sociopathic-sounding shock-talk. _He will have to try harder to get a rise out of me,_ the Turk dryly thought, as he gazed suspiciously at Rufus and said, "I am afraid that I don't understand why you think that people would think less of you if you failed to give them an elaborate execution! Has it occurred to you that the loss of respect that you are trying to avoid would occur, for sure, if you staged a fancy one that prolonged the suffering of the poor prisoner? And humiliated them on TV? Executions should be carried out with dignity and should be quick, private and painless. A person who violates these rules comes across as weak – cruel – and cowardly, and I think that –"

 _I think that you are too foolish to understand why killing another person means so much to me._ Rufus vehemently shook his head and tuned out the rest of what Tseng was saying. He allowed the Turk to herd him into the brick enclosed entranceway, but as Tseng turned around to retrieve his folding chair, he put his hands on his hips and exclaimed, "You are missing the point! It's not about whether people like me! It's about making people want to obey me, respect me and fear me!"

"Why fear?" Tseng demanded to know, brows furrowing with disapproval as he realized that Rufus was serious about taking another person's life. "Why would you want to run your company that way when you could emulate what your father has done and –"

"No, I don't think so," Rufus icily said. "I want to differentiate myself from my father and control the world with fear. It takes too much to do it like my old man. A little fear will control the minds of the common people. There's no reason to waste money on them when you can do it this way," he proclaimed, and the venom in his voice indicated that he wanted this to be the end of the discussion.

Tseng nodded grimly and turned away from Rufus. "I-I understand your position," he lied to the boy, "and if I – " – _have not been executed myself for my transgressions –_ "am still working for the company when you become President, I will do everything I can to ensure that you get what you want."

The young Vice President sighed in contentment and leaned back in his chair. "Good – I am glad to hear that," he replied. "I knew that you would see it my way," he smugly added, as his thoughts turned to AVALANCHE…

…power…

…and world domination.


	19. The Downward Spiral

**Part II: The Downward Spiral**

**BANORA, PRESENT DAY**

_Genesis looked up at the sky as the crescent moon floated high over Banora. He followed it carefully with his eyes as it drifted over the green fields and illuminated them. A smile spread across his face as beautiful, ethereal white light shimmered through the thick leaves of the Banora White he was perched in. Soft laughter bubbled up inside him as it swept across his hand, gently caressing it. "I feel fortunate that I am still alive to see this sight," he whispered to the natural beauty surrounding him. "Thank you, Strife, for giving me my life back."_

_He unfurled his giant black wing and extended it to its full width. Glossy-looking feathers and discarded apple cores plummeted to the ground as he launched himself into the air, and soared above his father's orchard._

_As he propelled himself towards the house that he and Cloud lived in, Genesis wondered if Sephiroth had taken Rayleigh up on her offer to have his wing amputated. Rayleigh had come to him, as well, and asked him if he had wanted his removed, but he had said no and told her that he would keep his to remind himself of the price that Cloud had paid to save them._

He gave up his dreams and put himself through Hojo hell again in order to give us a second chance _, Genesis mused, as he glided over the meadow where men had died. Tseng had learned what true evil was. And Angeal had bled to protect him from the greedy scientist who had wanted to exploit the two of them._

He sacrificed himself to save us, _he sighed, thoughts turning to the day that he and Cloud had become friends and everything had gone to hell._

**Chapter Nineteen - The Downward Spiral**

_Midgar - εуλ 0000, ten days after Zack's promotion to 1st class_

Genesis leaned forward in the wobbly wooden chair that he had set up in the simulation chamber, his vigilant blue eyes filled with doubt as he watched Cloud Strife push himself to his limit on the training room floor. As the boy assumed a defensive stance and cautiously headed towards the circle in the middle of the fighting ring, the 1st thoroughly scanned the room, hunting for the tonberry enemy that he had unleashed upon the cadet when the child had returned from the bathroom.

Blue irises narrowed as he searched the most obvious spots, hoping that he could make out the shape of the creature's grotesque, misshapen torso, the glow from its oversized golden eyes, or a flash of white light from the butchering knife that it had summoned to its side, but to his dismay, he could not find anything to indicate that the stealthy monster had cloaked itself in darkness and concealed itself in the shadows. Concerned that he had lost track of one of the more dangerous simulated monsters, he raised his voice, cautioning Cloud that the intelligent tonberry had found some creative place to hide, and that he was in more danger than he had ever been in hence far.

"Tonberries are very aggressive monsters," he called out to the boy, who realized that he was exposed on all sides and began to retreat, backing away towards the wall, "and if it thinks that you have let your guard down or you show it any sort of weakness, it _will_ attack you. If it attacks you when you are unprepared and gets a critical hit in, you will _'die,'_ for there is no way that a person who is as weak as you are can _'survive'_ such a powerful attack."

Genesis unsteadily rose to his feet and crept towards the edge of the observatory platform, taking stiff, staggering steps that one would not expect to see from someone who was so young and athletic.

"Remember –" he reminded Cloud, as he reached out and his clammy fingers closed around the railing. "These are monsters that have death blown 3rd and 2nd Class SOLDIERs who have gotten sloppy in the field, but if you play your cards right…"

The commander nodded his head approvingly as his student stood still, tried to slow his breathing and lowered the cutlass sword he had been lent in anticipation of a ground attack. "Yes, yes," he said, as Cloud cast about the floor, maintaining concentration and focus, "that's it – pay attention to your surroundings, keep a level head and wait. Draw it out – let it come to you – and then kill it."

The 1st gave the boy the thumbs up sign as Cloud did everything that he himself would do if he were the one facing this simulation.

 _You have come a long way,_ Genesis silently told the boy, as he let go of the railing and brought sticky, interlocked fingers up to his chin. _You have learned to be patient, have good situation awareness and use your agility to your advantage,_ he thought, watching as the tonberry grew sick of waiting, crept out from under the bleachers where it had been hiding, uttered a wordless cry and charged at Cloud. _And you're now pulling off moves that you never dreamed that you would be able to do,_ he mused, while his student threw down his weapon, ran towards the knife-swinging tonberry, and quickly kicked off the ground.

"Good, good, good," Genesis whispered, when Cloud soared over the monster's head. "Keep it up," he murmured, impressed to see the boy thrust out his hands to prevent the hardwood floor from braining him.

He nodded approvingly as Cloud somersaulted, came out of the dive roll and sprang to his feet.

"You're doing great," the 1st mouthed, as Cloud somersaulted away from the livid tonberry, dropped to the floor, snatched up his sword, and slashed at the creature. "Don't back down now," he encouraged his pupil, as Cloud pivoted on his booted feet and spun around, swinging his blade in a counterclockwise direction to prevent the tonberry from getting a cheap attack in.

 _Excellent. Nice job,_ Genesis quietly cheered.

He moved closer to the railing as Cloud leaped away, avoiding the attack.

"See what happens when you listen to your instructor and do as he says?" he could not resist adding, as the tonberry overshot his student and fell on its face.

"Yes, sir, _"_ Cloud dryly muttered, kicking at the knife that the tonberry had dropped when it had gone crashing into the wall. "I see."

"You better goddamn see," Genesis growled. "Never forget that! And for god's sake, don't let what I'm saying distract you, or that monster will overpower you!" he screeched, when the squealing creature came barreling towards his student, intent on knocking him down while he was off-balanced. "And if you get pulled down…the monster will death blow you, the simulation will end, and you will owe me several hundred pull ups for _getting killed in the line of duty_."

 _No thank you,_ Cloud thought, thrust out an elbow to block the tonberry from knocking him down. _The last thing I want is to get stuck doing pull-ups again,_ he vowed, right before he struck, viciously slashing at the monster with his sword.

"Damn," he swore, feeling the tonberry grab a hold of his elbow. "This is not what I had in mind."

He moaned as the tonberry got up in his face and its lips drew back, revealing fierce little fangs that were capable of inflicting devastating damage.

"This –"

"Concentrate," Genesis commanded him. "Maintain your focus and don't let it – goddamn it –" The 1st threw down the clipboard that he had been holding, hastily reached for the remote control, and paused the program as the simulated monster's mouth closed around Cloud Strife's wrist. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I was trying to get the tonberry to attack me from a lower angle," Cloud murmured, disappointed that Genesis had frozen the simulation when it had been positioned just the way that he had wanted it. "I was about to…"

"You were cruising for a bruising, taking a chance like that," the commander snapped.

"I'm sorry," Cloud said, as he looked at the cutlass in his hand and wished that it was his First Sword. "Next time I will not take such chances," he promised the 1st. "What would you like for me to do?" he asked.

"Stay put - don't go anywhere," Genesis forcefully said, and with that he turned around and disappeared into the control room, leaving a surprised Cloud wondering what he was doing, for usually the theatrical 1st unlatched the guard rails and made a big show out of jumping off the observatory platform to the floor below.

 _He must be retrieving something big and bulky from the control room and bringing it in through the normal entrance,_ Cloud concluded, not realizing that in reality Genesis was taking the easier way down, because he was not interested in putting on a performance when he was feeling more physically and emotionally drained than he had ever felt before. _And I am guessing that I will not like whatever it is that he is fetching. It cannot be anything good._

 _Paperwork and medical stuff…?_ Cloud blinked, when Genesis reappeared, carrying a medical kit and a manila envelope that was bulging with what he assumed were bluntly worded, unflattering assessments. _I don't understand how these things go together,_ he boggled, as his mentor eased himself onto the bleachers, instead of standing like he normally did when he went off on a rant. _I am very confused,_ he thought.

"Sir, I…" Cloud started to say.

He shut up, realizing that he was venturing into dangerous water. If there was one thing that Genesis did not like to hear, it was excuses

"I'm…I'm here, sir," Cloud whispered, taking a seat next to his mentor. "What do you want me to –"

He flinched as Genesis roughly seized his right hand, flipped it over so that his hand faced palm up, and squeezed his wrist, pressing down on the area over the ulna and radial bones.

"Ehhh…" he gasped, in spite of himself. "That's not comfortable –" He looked up at his mentor, who was studying his hands with a chillingly insensitive look in his blue eyes. "That doesn't feel comfortable."

To his relief, Genesis eased his grasp; he did not let go, though.

"Be more careful," the auburn haired man snarled at him. "If it had bitten you, it would have 'broken' your wrist and 'incapacitated' you. With such a severe injury, you would…"

He turned away from Cloud and sighed softly, as his ungloved, sweat-soaked hands trembled when an uncomfortable, prickly cold sensation ran from his elbows down to his fingers, his temples ached, and a sharp, piercing wave of pain shot down his spinal cord and seemed to spread throughout his back.

"It would have been very difficult for you to…" he struggled under the strain of his legs buckling, still healing shoulder wound throbbing, and his ears ringing. "You would have a hard time…"

He closed his shot, strained eyes, resting them for thirty seconds before he resumed their lesson.

"What I'm trying to say," he wearily managed to say at last, "is that with a damaged hand, you would have been in no condition to fight and had a hard time defending yourself against the tonberry, much less killing it, had this been a real one. You…"

 _You would have required urgent medical care, and been lucky if you made it out alive…to check into…a hospital,_ he thought, shaking slightly as the bland white walls of the room reminded him of the emotionless walls one sees in an ER.

He drew in his breath and rocked back in his hard metal seat, as thinking about hospitals made him imagine IV tubes being wheeled around by nurses; tearful families spending an unbearable night pacing about the lobby, waiting to hear back word about their loved ones; terrified children wailing and screaming; and bloodied, un-anesthetized, barely conscious accident victims being wheeled into the trauma ward by the emergency response team.

As he closed his eyes, he tried to filter out the pictures that he had in his head of priests solemnly reading the last rites over sickly men and women; baggy-skinned, thin-boned, arthritic elderly patients being pushed around in gurneys and wheelchairs; nurses struggling to hook terminally ill people who were gasping for air up to respirators; and surgeons swabbing alcohol over tender skin that they were preparing to slice into with their scalpels and cutting tools. And as grisly images of corpses being rolled up in body bags, crippled paraplegics and stillborn children barraged him and flashed before his eyes, Genesis wished that he was elsewhere.

"Give me a moment, please," the 1st said, when Cloud looked at him expectantly. "I need to gather my thoughts...five minutes. I'll be ready then…"

"Yes, sir, don't worry - take all the time that you need," Cloud said, and Genesis looked at him uneasily, for what the boy had just said was something that he said to set Hollander at ease whenever he went in for his appointments and his terminally ill doctor told him that he needed some time before they proceeded, because it hurt so much to talk.

And that's when it occurred to Genesis that…

_Hollander's lung cancer is behind all this._

~********~

Genesis sighed unhappily, understanding at last that the shields that he had put up to prevent Hollander's terminally ill condition from affecting him were weakening, and that the horrifying images in his head and the negative manner in which he reacted to hospitals were a product of all the stress that had been building up for months now.

His sickly, pained eyes drifted over to a group picture that someone had taken of the science department and hung up in the simulation room, as he realized that Hollander's tragedy made him realize how frail and mortal human beings were.

As his eyes took in the rows of smiling, healthy young scientists in the picture and he picked out someone who he thought resembled a younger version of his Hollander, it all felt so surreal to him that a good man with big hopes and dreams was going to be struck down by terminal lung cancer. And he trembled, knowing that in thirty or forty years from now, his body would start to weaken and decline, and eventually he, too, would end up like Hollander.

No, he shook his head, it would not take that long for his strength to start to fail him.

Given the perilous nature of his job and the dangerous levels of mako energy that he had been exposed to on missions, he feared that there was a very strong chance that one day in the none too distant future he too would find himself dealing with a debilitating medical condition that would slowly erode away his health, take an emotional toll on him and sap away his desire to live, and that possibility scared him – oh gods, did it scare him. There was nothing that was more frightening to him than the thought of his strong, powerful body prematurely failing him before he had lived out all the years of his life and there was nothing left for him to accomplish. The last thing that he wanted was to fall ill when he had barely begun to live and to become a weak, withered, flimsy little husk who needed to be pushed around in a wheel chair, spoon fed his food by a stuffy old nurse, bathed and dressed by a friend, and hooked up to machinery, because his battered body could no longer breath on its own, talk on its own or walk on its own.

 _Please don't let any of the above happen to me,_ he silently prayed to his goddess, as the stress became too much for him to deal with. _Please don't let me fade away before I have lived out my life._

_~*********~_

Genesis turned to Cloud, eager to move on and think about other things, and as he did he growled, because he felt so stiff, clumsy and robotic. "In this envelope," he strained, "are the forms that you will need to proceed with the exams. You are to fill out the paperwork as accurately as possible, and make sure that you don't falsify anything, because if you claim to be in _perfect_ physical condition and then show up for the entrance exams looking the way that you look, they won't let you in and will fail you on the spot. Understand?"

Yes, Cloud nodded, he understood. _It's not like I haven't been through this before,_ he thought, while the short-tempered 1st reached into the medical kit and pulled out a swab of cotton and a small flask containing liquefied mako.

"Every student who is applying for the exams is required to take a patch test before they submit their paperwork," Genesis explained.

He rolled up Cloud's long-sleeved shirt and started to stipple the wet swab along the inside of his student's arm. "The purpose of the patch test is to make sure that you are not allergic to mako, because if you cannot tolerate it, there is no point in you proceeding with the exams," he continued with a sigh. "At least that is how Hojo rationalizes it."

And Cloud stiffened at the mention of Professor Hojo. "Will Doctor Hojo sit in on the exams?" he asked, and to his immense relief, Genesis said no.

"Doctor Hojo will not be sitting in on the exams, because the exams fall on a day when the department heads have been invited to present their projects to President Shinra and his friends.

"President Shinra is going to present an achievement award to the department head who he feels has made the biggest breakthroughs in scientific research," Genesis dryly said, "and Professor Hojo is considered one of the top contenders. He will not want to sit in on the exams, because an achievement award could very well be what he needs to convince President Shinra and his advisers that he should be given _absolute_ and _total_ control over every scientist who works for Shinra, and that would be misfortunate."

His cheeks and face became red as he realized that he had expressed an unprofessional opinion that a cadet had no business hearing.

"What I just said about Professor Hojo," he wasted no time in sternly telling Cloud, "stays here between us and does not leave this room and furthermore…"

He seized the boy's wrists and gripped them tightly to command the child's attention.

"Feel free to ask whatever questions you like about the tests," he said in a harsher tone of voice than he had used in the past few days with Cloud, "but _do not_ ask any more questions about Doctor Hojo or his involvement with the entrance exams. It is _not_ appropriate for me to discuss other people when I am at work and it is also not appropriate for cadets to be asking about others. You would do well to remember that."

"I'm sorry," Cloud sincerely said, dismayed that Commander Rhapsodos seemed to think that he was attempting to stir the pot by asking questions about Professor Hojo. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, I was just wondering, because Professor Hojo is someone who I try to avoid if I can. I'm sorry. What were you saying about the exams?"

He tried to smile to show he was sorry, but the smile was lost as Genesis condescendingly sneered at him and arched a red eyebrow at him, as if to say that he did not believe words that he truly meant.

Discouraged, he picked up a form and began to read it.

 _It's a shame that after so many days of working together, he does not trust me more than he does,_ Cloud sadly thought, not knowing that in actuality, the 1st's doubts about his integrity, his intentions and strength of character were decreasing day by day.

~**********~

As Cloud respectfully lowered his eyes, the commander flipped through the forms, wondering if there would ever come a time when the boy would betray the trust that he had given him.

Based on the experiences that he had had with the cadet thus far, Genesis was inclined to believe that Cloud was a mature, honorable person who understood and respected other people and their confidences. Yet for his own emotional well-being and self-preservation, he felt that he still needed to brace himself and prepare for the possibility that something could go wrong.

He must never forget, he cautioned himself, as he marked up passages with his highlighter, that children who had been around Cloud's age and seemed trustworthy had turned on him in the past, running to other adults for comfort, because they had not had full grasp over their emotions, misconstrued what he had been trying to do for them, and panicked. Thanks to their youthful insecurities and lack of judgment, he reminded himself, he had had negative opinions that he had shared with them repeated to other people, had personal information spread around the entire campus, and found himself chest deep in drama that could have been avoided had the children done the mature thing and approached him to talk about their concerns and told him to his face that they did not like what he was doing.

~**********~

Was Cloud an emotionally immature person, he wondered.

He did not think so, but things that the boy had done had made him wonder.

It disturbed him, for example, that the child had freaked out when he had insisted that he learn difficult gymnastics moves, grown very quiet around him whenever he expressed a negative opinion about his good friend Zackary, and acted very guarded whenever he tried to question him about topics that clearly made the child uncomfortable.

A child who was truly emotionally mature, he told himself, would have respectfully voiced his reservations about his training and politely informed his instructor that he did not appreciate having his best friend trashed, instead of flipping out and giving him the silent treatment.

 _I feel that I can trust him on a professional level,_ Genesis thought, _but I am not sure that I am ready to take the plunge and trust him on a personal level. I want to say that I can, because there have been times that I have let him in and we have discussed things that I would only discuss with my close friends, but I don't… I don't know,_ he sighed to himself. _I don't know what I should think…it has all become so…confusing._

It had not been that way…

… _Ten days ago,_ the conflicted commander mused, thinking of the vow that he made to himself to keep things professional between himself and the boy the evening that Cloud had come up to the simulation room to return his earring to him. _It was so easy to make a promise like that then, because I didn't know you the way that I know you now,_ he thought, as Cloud looked at him with eyes that were patient, kind, respectful _, forthcoming_ and accepting of him, _and you mistrusted me and were not ready to open up to me. You made it so simple for me…_

 _Gods,_ _I wish it was still this simple,_ he thought. _What went wrong?_

Five minutes passed without a single word being exchanged. Cloud was about to give up and ask whether they were done for the day, when Genesis decided to break the awkward silence that had fallen between them.

"Cloud," he miserably said, suddenly wishing that the boy would give him some space for a few minutes, "here is some money. Take it and go to the vending machine outside the room at the end of the hall. Buy yourself a drink and buy me one as well and –"

He paused for a moment, struggling to recall what drinks this particular vending machine sold.

"Buy water or tomato juice for me and if they are sold out, I can do without. _Don't_ get me any of the sugary, artificial flavoring filled shit that your ignorant friend guzzles," he nastily said, "or I will arrange for you to have a meeting with First Sergeant Hewley and he will have a talk with you about the kinds of foods and drinks that he thinks that _every_ SOLDIER should be…"

He stared at the blond-haired boy uneasily.

"What are you…" he started to say, stunned that Cloud seemed unaffected that he had just insulted Zack. "Don't you…"

 _Perhaps he was not paying attention to what I said,_ Genesis darkly thought, deciding to try getting a rise out of Cloud again and this time leave zero ambiguity about who he was putting down.

"It bewilders me why SOLDIER 1st Class Fair swears by his sodas," he conversationally said, returning the boy's smile with a menacing smile of his own. "They are _unhealthy_ , cause tooth decay and they taste like piss, but –" He looked challengingly at Cloud. "I guess they don't mind if their heads are already full of shit."

The manipulative 1st waited quietly, expecting that the unkind words that he had just used to belittle Zack Fair would cause the boy to become very quiet, narrow his eyes, furrow his brows and want to walk away from him, but to his surprise, Cloud just stood there with the distant, thoughtful look on his face that had frustrated him time and time again. As the child nodded his head politely and peered up at him with eyes that were full of tolerance and understanding, resignation and hope, the commander recoiled and brought a gloved hand up to eye level, scrutinizing it helplessly.

Genesis stared blankly at his palm and fingers, as he found himself once again wondering what experiences had shaped the boy to make him so accepting of someone who was manipulative, overly harsh, unforgiving and a master at using emotional, verbal and psychological violence against those he did not like.

Angry with himself for not being able to alienate a naïve, self-conscious, emotionally undeveloped child, he raged inwardly, unwilling to verbally express how frustrated, conflicted and torn up he was feeling. Envious that Cloud had achieved a level of maturity that he knew that he himself would never be able to rise to, because he was incapable of trusting other people and unwilling to forgive their faults and transgressions – intentional or not – he found himself wishing that he had never met the boy, that he was a better person, that he was not so good at realizing unpleasant personal truths about himself, and that he had the power to look into the future so that he could see if the boy still held out such hope for him in a few weeks from now.

"I'll be right back," Cloud promised, and the ill commander gave a curt bob of his head, but it was…not really an acknowledgment, for Genesis was in turmoil.

 _The worst part about this all,_ the tormented man told himself, as Cloud scooted out into the hallway to carry out his orders, _is not knowing how this will turn out. It makes me feel as though I am a character in "LOVELESS,"_ he mused, _waiting for the final act to be discovered so that I will know what my fate is._

"' _My friend, the fates are cruel,'"_ he recited to himself, making one last, desperate attempt to convince himself that it had been pain, frustration, disgust and barely concealed loathing that he had seen in the child's eyes instead of acceptance. _"'There are no dreams, no honor'_ in people _'remains.' 'All that awaits…is a somber morrow, no matter where the winds may blow…' 'The arrow has left the bow of the goddess…'"_ he trailed off, suddenly struck by just how cruel and abusive his words to Cloud had sounded.

Genesis shook his head, realizing that he had gone too far.

 _There needs to be some distance between us so that neither of us gets hurt,_ he silently told Cloud, _but I realize now that I run the risk of going too far in my attempts to alienate you. I do not want you to get to the point where you throw down your sword in disgust, say, "To hell with this!" and go off and prepare for the exams on your own or ask to be mentored by the Puppy,_ he thought, as he recalled how Sephiroth had rung him up when the "Congratulations, Zack" party had started to slow down and informed him that SOLDIER 1st Class Fair had freaked out when he had seen him offer Cloud constructive criticism. _The last thing I would want is for you to end up being "instructed" by such an unprofessional person…_

 _If you turn to Zackary,_ Genesis cautioned the absent boy, _he will teach you how to use weapons that are inappropriate for your body type, emphasize strength and power over speed, endurance and agility, parrot what Angeal taught him word-for-word, including the things that he did not understand,_ _use tried and true techniques and discourage you from thinking outside of the box._

 _If, however, you stick with me, you will_ _learn how to be versatile when I teach you how to use every weapon I have been trained to use. See your reaction time significantly improve. Fight effectively using offensive and defensive materia_. _Outlast opponents who are stronger than you are and who have an advantage over you and…and…under my guidance, you will learn how to execute moves that you never thought that you were capable of performing and you will become a creative fighter who is able to take out anything,_ he told himself, feeling certain that he could turn Cloud into someone who could kill the most difficult monsters.

 _I will give you the wings that my father would not let me have when he discouraged me from trying,_ Genesis determinedly vowed, as the thought of Cloud seeking Zack out for instruction nauseated him. _I will see to it that -_ he looked hopefully at the door Cloud had gone through - _that you soar,_ he promised himself, realizing that he would fail to bring out Cloud's full potential unless they were both willing to be honest and open with each other.

 _You…should be given the chance to prove that you are worthy of trust,_ Genesis silently called out to Cloud, struggling to accept that the boy was a person who would _never_ undermine him, _never_ make judgmental assumptions about him, _never_ try to change his personality and _never_ use him. _And I am going to give you the amount of trust that I gave Sephiroth when we first met, Cloud,_ Genesis decided, as he hesitantly lowered the defensive shields that he had thrown up to protect himself and let the boy in. _But please…_

_Please do not let me down…Please do not betray…_

_I **trust** that you will not betray me, _he thought, as he attempted to push away the lingering doubts that he had about the boy, _and I trust that you will not hurt me, because…_ His hands weakly fluttered out in front of him as an image of a beautiful winged woman dressed in steel armor flashed through his head. _Because… I would choose you to play the part of the unselfish, compassionate hero, if I were one of the Valkyries who served Odin,_ he admitted to himself, finding it extremely awkward to be giving Cloud such a huge _compliment._

 _I… I don't want to play head games with you, Cloud,_ Genesis silently told his student, realizing now that the things that he had done in the past did not inspire trust and it was going to be take some time before the boy was able to look beyond his prior actions. _And I hope that you will believe me, but_ _I don't expect you will, because things have not always gone smoothly between us, and..._

His eyes widened with painful understanding as he recalled how Cloud had fallen silent the other day when Sephiroth had approached them and how the child had looked at people whom had been working in the science lab with suspicion, distrust and reluctance.

 _People have betrayed your trust also, haven't they,_ Genesis sadly wondered, as he saw new meaning in the guarded, sidelong glances that the boy gave people, _and hurt you…That is why you become difficult to read around me and act as though you have no opinion and no feelings, yes?_

Yes, he decided, the boy _had_ to have been hurt badly in the past. He could see no other possibility, really, to explain the child's mistrustful behavior.

~*****************~

 _I am sorry that your trust was abused by other people,_ the commander flatly thought, as he struggled to feel empathy for someone who _was not_ a family member, _was not_ part of his inner circle and _was not_ a co-worker who he counted on when they went on dangerous missions. _Nobody deserves to be betrayed like that._

He shrugged his shoulders uncertainly, because it was difficult for him to form any sort of opinion or draw conclusions when Cloud Strife had made it clear that he was reluctant to discuss his personal life and they avoided talking about people who were in positions where they could betray the boy's trust.

 _Perhaps someday,_ Genesis mused, _you will reciprocate the trust that I am giving you and will tell me so that I understand who are._ _But if you are not ready to trust me,_ he let the boy know, _I won't hold it against you._

 _This is not easy for me either and I think that we should both take it slowly,_ he sighed to himself, as Cloud returned.

Genesis fixed his blue eyes on Cloud as the boy came back into the room, and he laughed softly, wondering if the cadet would fall over backwards in shock when he told him that killing the monster could wait. With his emotions all churned up and his body aching all over, he was in no mood to jump up and down, screaming and waving his arms around, as the tonberry kicked the boy's butt and beat him down.

 _Just this once,_ he thought, _I would like to leave the lesson unfinished for the day and talk to you._ _I'd like to know who you are,_ he admitted to himself, _and I think that I would like you to see that there is more to me than yelling at you, making you do unpleasant exercises and putting down your friends._

"You don't want me to finish killing the tonberry?" Cloud asked, blinking in confusion. "Save it for another day?"

"Yes," Genesis said, "we'll continue another day. I just –"

He faltered, choking for words, because he found it to be extremely awkward trying to make small talk with someone who wasn't part of his inner circle and who he was not giving orders to.

"There are some things that I would like to know, like….why you want to join SOLDIER…what inspires you…what experiences have shaped who you are? Would you like to talk about those things with me or…?"

"I-I wouldn't mind talking," Cloud said with a small smile.


	20. Fading Friendship

**Chapter Twenty - Fading Friendship**

_Midgar - εуλ 0000_

Sephiroth stood in the Director's office, listening unenthusiastically as Mr. Lazard informed Angeal that he was being placed in charge of the Wutai expedition. His brows furrowed as the blond-haired man broke the news to him, and when his boss stated that this assignment would require setting up surveillance, negotiating with the Wutainese and training covert operatives to be good spies _,_ he found himself completely at a loss for words, because it was a well-known fact that diplomacy was not Angeal's thing.

As Director Lazard rambled on about the mission, Sephiroth found himself wondering why Genesis had not been offered the mission instead.

 _I am disgusted that GR wasn't given consideration,_ he snarled. _I recommended Genesis, but Lazard has chosen Lieutenant Adams, Angeal and..._

"Zackary," Sephiroth angrily murmured. "What an excellent decision."

 _Sending a boy who only has ten days of experience being in 1st Class under their belt makes perfect sense to me,_ he raged.

 _Lazard, I hope that you realize that you are be illogical,_ the general seethed. _If you do not wake up and realize how senseless and unprofessional you are, I will go up to the President's office and file a complaint myself,_ he growled, while First Sergeant Hewley held out the assignment papers that he had been given, and offered them to Lazard.

_~**********~_

_I hope that you chose to decline the mission,_ Sephiroth silently told his First Sergeant, _because this may be one of the last times that you get to exercise that right, for the weak-minded President is being influenced by Professor Hojo,_ he grimly thought, _who has been arguing that it is inappropriate for employees to be able to refuse orders and at the last board meeting he came close to saying that the mission policy needs to be reviewed the next time that the leaders meet._

 _Of course, it is on account of me that a freedom that you enjoy will be taken away,_ the disgusted general sighed, realizing that Hojo wanted the mission policy changed because he could not tolerate his strong-willed lab specimen having the freedom to think for itself.

 _We can't afford to keep such a policy, can we?_ Sephiroth bitterly thought, as Director Lazard looked disappointedly at Angeal and said, "You're saying _no_ to being sent on this mission? I do not understand why you are declining…you do not give a reason on the papers that you signed. You just crossed everything out. I don't understand..."

 _But I do,_ Sephiroth sneered.

"Are you declining the mission because you feel you are unworthy of the assignment?" the discouraged Director asked. "If that is your reason, I can assure you that your stellar record, your values and your integrity give me the utmost confidence that you…"

The blond man sighed as Angeal nodded. "I appreciate you considering me for the assignment," First Sergeant Hewley said, "but I would not feel right about taking it when it requires leadership skills that I do not have. If I were to accept the assignment, I feel that my lack of experience would jeopardize the mission and cause it to fail."

 _Lack of leadership experience?!_ Director Lazard was stunned that Angeal could possibly think that when the man had demonstrated that he was honest, reliable and loyal; respectful, tolerant of differences and considerate of the feelings of others, but he had no choice but to accept the swordsman's decision, and was forced to say, "I respect your feelings and your position. I'm just…having trouble dealing with your assessment of yourself when the traits that you have shown that you have become a strong leader. I suppose –"

The flustered man reached for the glasses that he had taken off and slowly slid them back on.

"It saddens me that someone who is _compassionate, always willing to help people in need, forgiving of others' mistakes, honorable_ and _accountable for his mistakes_ feels that they are unqualified for the assignment," he strained, once again putting personality traits that a good leader should have before skill and ability. "Nevertheless – an officer's presence is needed in Wutai and since neither of the two of you want the assignment…are there any 1sts that you would recommend for the...mission Would you..."

"I would recommend Genesis," Sephiroth immediately said, and without further ado he plopped the letter that he had written supporting his colleague on the Director's desk. "He is…"

"Angeal?" Lazard abruptly asked, hoping that First Sergeant Hewley would recommend a person who was not so polarizing, negative and divisive. "Who do you think should be sent on this mission? Officer Tyler perhaps?"

"No, I would recommend Genesis as well," First Sergeant Hewley said in a disapproving voice to indicate that he found it extremely rude that Director Lazard was not letting Sephiroth finish explaining why he would pick GR. "I believe that SOLDIER 1st Class Genesis would be an excellent person to lead the mission and if you look at his record, you will see that the man has solid credentials and is very experienced," he added, and leaned over the keyboard, accessed the database and quickly pulled up his best friend's record. "As you can see..."

"He has instructed covert operatives before," Sephiroth pointed out, gesturing to the computer screen, "has been part of surveillance teams in the past, and…he also knows how to identify and confiscate contraband, has led teams before to apprehend smugglers and breaking up their rings in Midgar and Junon, and…"

He called Lazard's attention to a letter from Tseng, which praised Genesis for showing _tact, discretion, good judgment_ and _sound temperament_ on a recent raid that the red-head had helped co-lead.

"…Tseng thinks that he is an effective leader," the general quietly said, as a very skeptical Director brought up the letter and read a paragraph where the Turk commander wrote that Mr. Rhapsodos was someone that he would _gladly_ work with again if the opportunity ever presented itself.

"Tseng said that?" Angeal blinked, finding it difficult to imagine his short-tempered friend and the stubborn leader of the Turks getting along. "GR never said anything about working with the Turks," he murmured, wondering why Genesis had concealed this from him, "and it is rare for anyone to receive a positive review from Tseng. The man does not like to…"

He looked abashed as he realized that he was gossiping.

"The man can be critical," he simply said.

"Can be critical' is putting it mildly," Sephiroth replied. "He is more critical of people than you are when you are assessing moral character. And as for the information that you requested…"

Sephiroth clicked on the mouse, opened up a new screen, and brought up a photograph of Genesis wearing a wet suit, fins and a weight belt. "Tseng was sent to Costa del Sol to investigate a man who was selling high-powered assault weapons and performance enhancing drugs laced with mako energy," the general explained, as Angeal stared at the picture, "and Genesis also happened to be vacationing in the area at the time."

He clicked on another link, this time pulling up a photo of Cissnei and Rude spying on someone from the docks.

"Tseng tried to trick the man into selling him drugs and weapons, but the plan failed, because his appearance and formal manner of speaking made the suspect suspicious, so he…?"

He closed the two windows and looked at his friend expectantly, waiting to see if Angeal would accurately guess what course of action Tseng had taken after he had blown his chance to bust the suspect.

"He recruited GR to pose as a person who wanted to obtain guns and drugs," Angeal murmured, "and the suspect believed it, because…" He paused as he took a moment to think about what Genesis would have told the weapons dealer. "I'm assuming that…I'm guessing…"

Angeal shrugged, not sure what Genesis had done to make himself credible when his appearance screamed _mako-enhanced human_ and his military air screamed _high-ranking officer who works for SOLDIER_.

"I'm guessing that he disguised himself as a disgruntled Shinra employee, who wanted to obtain mako and weapons for a vindictive revenge scheme, or that he…"

He laughed softly as it occurred to him that his best friend also came across as a _spoiled little boy_ who _had to have everything handed to him_.

"Did Genesis pretend to be a pampered rich kid?" he asked, wondering if the commander had told the weapons dealer that he needed performance enhancing drugs so that he could rise through the ranks of SOLDIER without putting in any work.

"Yes, Genesis told the suspect that he was a rich kid destined for great things," the general said, "and he acted very asinine, bragging about how much money he was going to inherit and boasting that he always got what he wanted. He came across as an entitled, lazy brat with money and connections, and when he revealed to the suspect that he had twenty-thousand gil with him to spend on drugs and weapons, the dealer was more than willing to take him to the warehouse where the mako and rifles were being kept."

He snorted, recalling how Genesis had obnoxiously insisted that he be allowed to dramatically bust the man's ass on the beach for maximum publicity and exposure.

"I assume the suspect was arrested?" Angeal asked.

"Yes, he was arrested at the warehouse," Sephiroth said, feeling very grateful that Tseng had not permitted Genesis to be a prima-donna on the beach, "and then the Turks raided the other storage facilities and rounded up the entire gang. It ended well."

"And Genesis never told me about this accomplishment, because…?"

"Because he unselfishly wanted Tseng to receive the credit to alleviate peoples' concerns about his leadership abilities," Sephiroth lied, when in reality Genesis had not given a damn that the Turk leader had been under fire at the time and had had a very me-me-me attitude about the whole affair.

"He did that for Tseng?" Lazard murmured, stunned to hear that Genesis had been willing to sacrifice being in the spotlight for another person. "I am amazed."

~**********~

Sensing that this incident could be used to tip the scales in his colleague's favor if certain details were left out and other details were embellished, the general turned to Mr. Lazard. He nodded gravely to impress upon the skeptical man that Genesis had indeed sacrificed what could have been a highlight in his career to help the Turk save face, and then he sat down to tell his boss a heart-warming, sentimental story that was chock full of lies.

As a speechless Lazard hung onto his every word, Sephiroth described how a highly concerned commander had come to him, insisting that his involvement in the entire matter be kept as low-profile as possible, because he wanted _Tseng and Tseng alone_ to receive the credit. Making sure that the hero of his story came across as sympathetic and likable, the general proceeded to depict the arrogant 1st as a sensitive, compassionate person who was always thinking about other peoples' feelings and putting their well-being ahead of his own. Certain that Lazard would look upon Genesis with new eyes once he heard everything, he sorrowfully informed the riveted Director that Genesis was a misunderstood person who came across as abrasive, judgmental and overly critical, because he was not very good at showing his feelings or expressing affection, due to the bad experiences that he had had with other people and his father.

~**********~

"General," Angeal muttered with displeasure. "Do you think that..."

"Do I think that he has the _leadership skills_ and _the personality traits_ that Director Lazard is looking for?" Sephiroth cut him off, well-aware that he was venturing into dangerous territory by dragging one of Genesis' secrets into the board room. "That is what I asked myself when Director Lazard announced that SOLDIER needed to send an officer to Wutai. Like Lazard, I had my doubts at first about recommending Genesis for the mission, but then I realized that…sometimes you need to take the good with the bad, especially if the good _outweighs_ the bad, like with Genesis…"

A knowing, persuasive smile crept across his face as he handed the uncomfortable Director the files that he had printed out. And the persuasive smile turned into a smile of malevolence and triumph as Lazard sighed and began to highlight key accomplishments and skills that stood out in Genesis' file.

"I am certain that the mission will turn out to be a mess if Genesis is not sent," Sephiroth said in a condescending tone of voice. "We would be doing a serious disservice to Shinra if we send a lesser man."

Lazard looked up at the general uncertainly, as he realized something that he had not thought of before. _"If_ I offer the mission to SOLDIER 1st Class Genesis," he said, "the board members and the department heads _will_ question my decision and my judgment. Commander Rhapsodos and the board – "

He shrugged, certain that Sephiroth remembered the time that Genesis had been suspended without pay for a week after he had told Scarlet to her face, mid-meeting, that she was "the most vacuous, air-headed little girl that he had ever had the displeasure of running into."

"The board members have not thought well of Commander Rhapsodos since he disrupted a very important meeting with his disparaging remarks," he continued, "and the nasty remarks that he has made about cadets and low-ranking SOLDIERS also has them concerned that he sends the _wrong image_ to the public."

"Wrong image?" Sephiroth was incredulous, when the Board did not seem to give a damn that the public hated and mistrusted Professor Hojo.

"One of Shinra's top donators changed his mind about enrolling his son in the Shinra academy after he heard that SOLDIER 1st Class Genesis called cadets _'fountains of shit_ ' at a function," Lazard explained.

"He did not call cadets _'fountains of shit,'"_ Angeal hastily corrected the Director, as Lazard leaned back in his chair and frowned. "He said that if a cadet offered him water from the fountain of youth in exchange for being mentored, that he would refuse to drink it and die of old age instead. The remark that he made was rude and inappropriate, but it was _not_ as nasty as the misinformed person who reported it to you said that it was. Genesis would _never_ say something that inconsiderate about…"

"Genesis has had problems with cadets in the past, but he would _never_ let negative experiences that he has had with them prevent him from doing his job or doing what is best for upcoming SOLDIERs, and as a matter of fact…" Sephiroth quickly cut in, moving to box Lazard in from the left as Angeal approached from the right. "...I can provide you with proof that shows that he and the cadets get along quite well and that the cadets he has worked with have benefited from his instruction," he said, quickly inserting a disc that he had brought with him into the DVD player in Lazard's computer. "As you can see…"

"We're watching," Angeal grimly said, irritated that the general planned on using the situation with Cloud Strife as leverage to get their best friend the coveted mission. "And taking it all in," he sighed, and made a note to himself to have a little talk with Sephiroth afterwards about not re-airing personal footage from the simulation rooms unless he had permission from all the parties who had been taped.

"How did you get this?" Lazard asked, voicing the same reservations that Angeal had about the recording. "Did Commander Rhapsodos give you the disk?" he asked, as he paused the DVD, not wanting to watch it if Genesis and the boy he was training had not given consent to have it re-aired. "Please let me know what the situation is before we resume watching," he said.

 _What an irritating question._ Sephiroth reached across the desk to un-pause the movie player. "I asked them for permission before I took the disk from the control room," he smoothly said, as he fumbled with the movie player's control panel, "and I explained to them what the footage would be used for and both were fine with it. The cadet was excited that people would see him and he said…"

He scowled, finding teenage _slang_ to be very unbecoming and awkward to use when he was in the board room haggling with Lazard.

"I believe that he called it ' _kick butt'_ or ' _kick ass,'"_ he reluctantly said, hoping that throwing a few unusual words in would add credibility to the lies that he was feeding Angeal and his boss. "I'm not exactly sure which of the two words he used - all I recall is that he was more than happy to 'appear on TV' - and Commander Rhapsodos…was hesitant at first, but he changed his mind after I had a talk with him about how he is perceived by cadets and by other staff memb…"

He hissed as he hit the wrong keys on the keyboard and his mistake caused the movie player to close and the entire computer to shut down.

"How do I turn this back on?" he demanded, as he realized that Lazard's computer was not built like the one that he used.

"You don't."

Lazard swiveled around in his chair, blocking the general from reaching underneath his desk to turn the computer back on. Unlike Angeal, who was willing to accept anything that his best friend told him _without_ question, the Director had always had reservations about the silver-haired swordsman's honesty and integrity, and the earnestness and intensity with which Sephiroth was presenting his case was starting to unnerve him and make suspicious. While he wanted to believe that Cloud and Genesis had given their consent, he just was not buying the things that the general was telling him about the recording.

"Please do not touch the computer," Lazard commanded, deciding that he did not want to question Sephiroth's trustworthiness when Angeal was in the room with them. "The machine has a tendency to overheat when it is running multiple processes and it has been on all day. It needs to recover. I do not want to run DVDs on it at the moment."

~***********~

Sephiroth's triumphant, self-assured smile vanished as the Director ejected the DVD from the computer and set it to the side. As Lazard picked up the plastic case that the DVD had come in and held it out to him, the general's cold green-eyes narrowed and he returned his boss' apologetic look with a look of his own that was full of disappointment, frustration, and bitterness.

Sephiroth thrust his jaw out defiantly and leaned into the weak-willed, easily intimidated man, making sure that he crowded Lazard in and got up in his face, and when the Director signaled to him that it would be appreciated if he backed off, he crossed his arms to show that he did not feel like complying with the request after he had been _lied to_. Furious that he had been _deceived_ , he drew closer as his fiery heart screamed at him that he should not let this inconsiderate treatment go without calling him on it. Disgusted that his boss was making _excuses_ to prevent him from expressing ideas, Sephiroth bent over the shorter man and prepared to whisper something nasty in his ear, but then his eyes met Angeal's and the warning, disapproving look that his best friend was giving him made him hesitate and reconsider his self-destructive, counter-productive course of action. As Angeal pointed to a laptop that was sitting in the far corner of the room, the general pulled back, giving the Director some much needed personal space and the fire in his baleful green eyes started to simmer and cool.

"I find it _disturbing_ that a brand new machine, such as this one, should be having problems with overheating," the general could not resist sarcastically saying, as he looked down at the computer and saw that it still had a sticker from the store on the side of its monitor. "I would recommend returning it to the store and asking for an exchange, because it would be a better solution than sending it in for repairs and getting parts refurbished when the computer is still fresh off the shelf."

He gestured towards the corner, indicating the laptop that Angeal had spotted.

"I don't suppose this laptop has problems with overheating as well?" he asked. "Is there a reason that it is not plugged in?"

 _No,_ Lazard sighed to himself. _The laptop should be in perfect condition. The only problem with it may be low battery power since I have not plugged it in and charged it in a long time – it is not a computer that I often use._

"The computer works," the Director reluctantly said, "but I do not know how long you will be able to use it before the battery dies and –"

He massaged his temples as his head exploded, courtesy of Sephiroth and his difficult, hard to deal with and hard to please personality.

"And…how long will it take to watch this?" he asked. "Are there any particular parts that you want to show me or do you want to leave the disk with me and have me watch it after work?"

He looked at Sephiroth reproachfully as the general failed to acknowledge his question and powered up the laptop.

"I _do not_ have time to watch more than five minutes of footage," he added. "I have a meeting with Heidegger in forty-minutes…"

"This will not take more than five minutes of your time," Sephiroth reassured him, deciding that he did not want Director Lazard to see the parts where the Commander threatened to throw Cloud to the Cactuars and informed the boy that he had two hundred more pull-ups to do. "I _only_ want you to see a short clip," he said, in an amiable voice that did a good job concealing the fact that the movie contained scenes where Genesis was tossing the boy into a room filled with digital infantrymen, swinging at Cloud with Costly Punch materia, and demanding that the child execute difficult gymnastics moves that only an advanced gymnast should be trained to do. "Here is the first one…"

"They're sparring?" Lazard asked, as Sephiroth unpaused the DVD and images of Genesis and Cloud sword-fighting filled the screen. "And Genesis is using _Rapier?"_

"The boy does not seem to mind," the general said. "He does not appear to be upset…"

He pointed to the peaceful smile that stretched across the boy's face as Genesis activated the Stop materia in Rapier and swung, determined to stun his opponent.

"Or stressed…" Sephiroth said. "…And I get the impression that he _likes_ having Genesis spar with him using a difficult weapon…"

He smiled slightly as Strife effortlessly dodged the blow, glided passed his instructor and assumed an offensive stance in the center of the room.

"He likes being challenged," he added, as GR sent a low level Blizzard ice crystal at the cadet and Cloud cast Magic Barrier and Regen and ate the attack.

 _Does he?_ Lazard turned up the volume, raising it to full with concern as the recording showed Cloud crying out as he took another direct hit and staggered back.

"He is using offensive materia?" a skeptical Lazard asked, trying to recall if there was a clause in the regulations that prohibited powerful materia from being used in training matches. "I am not sure that…"

"Strife barely felt it," Angeal said, as Cloud recovered, sprang into the air, opened his arms and swung, left leg extended outwardly while he spun in a circular motion, "and now he's going defensive and using a butterfly kick to keep Genesis at bay…and…" His eyes bugged out as the boy did a second butterfly kick, this time executing it with two full rotating twists. "Clever, very clever…"

He watched as Genesis retreated, not wanting to risk slashing at the cadet when Cloud was jumping around and doing elaborate spins.

"Good…quite good," he murmured, as the boy landed, leaped forward and did an aerial twist to propel himself away from the frustrated commander. "That takes a lot of practice and hard work to master – it is not an easy skill to learn…"

He drew his breath in as Cloud dropped to his knees, rolled, snatched up his sword and then sliced at Genesis with a powerful upward cut that the 1st blocked, but not without some trouble.

"Nor is that move," he added, as Genesis went offensive and rained blow after blow upon Cloud and it took all the cadet had to defend himself.

Sephiroth paused the recording. "Well, Director," the general smugly said, "what do you think of the way that he works with students? Did you see the part where he _complimented_ the boy?"

He rewound the recording and un-paused it so the Director could hear Genesis praising Cloud for his speed, his skillful use of materia and his willingness to incorporate challenging moves that he had initially been resistant to learning into the way he fought.

"Were you impressed by what he has done with him? Would you say that he maintains good temperament?" he demanded. "If the department heads were to express reservations and you were to show them this footage, they would not be able to question your decision to send Genesis to Wutai, would they?"

Lazard shook his head – no, they would be able to call Genesis' temperament into question for long when this footage showed that man was patient, kind, and considerate with the boy and capable of yielding results that were _truly amazing_. Yet even so, his stubborn mind continued to resist the idea of sending Genesis to Wutai…

"I am impressed with what I saw," the Director admitted, "but…the department heads and the board members will want to see more, so that there will be no doubts that the best man was sent to Wutai. I'm sorry, but Genesis has…"

"A lot of bad history with the board members that he needs to overcome," Sephiroth dryly said, and he began to consider what he could do to 'encourage' Director Lazard. "How about...

"Genesis has become very strong, is the finest materia user that we have and is a first-class swordsman," Sephiroth mused, remembering that he and GR had talked about dueling when the 2nds were out and that their schedules were clear for the night. "With so much strength, skill and power, he would be a match for me," he said, in a soft, excited voice.

He reached for his Masamune sword, unsheathed it and held the blade out so that it shimmered and sparkled under the white light.

"And there is even…"

He smiled diabolically at Lazard as the Director realized where this conversation was headed.

"I would say that there is even the _possibility_ that Genesis has become my equal and can surpass me in a fight," he ventured to say, even though he knew that that would _never_ be true and he would _never_ allow that to happen, because if it did the image that people had of him would be shattered, crumble and fall away. "If he and I were to duel each other and the match were to be very close, do you think that the board members would approve of your decision to put him in charge of the Wutai mission?"

Lazard's eyes said _yes, without a doubt they would approve_ , while Angeal's said that _this plan was a bad idea, because you are not well enough to face Genesis in a full out fight_.

"What about your back?" First Sergeant Hewley inquired. "Is it getting better? What has your doctor said about you sparring with..."

Sephiroth shrugged at his overly protective, overly concerned friend and then swung the heavy Masamune sword over his shoulder to show that he was doing _just fine_. "I am feeling much better," he lied, forcing himself to exude confidence and optimism as the wing inside his body pressed against his spinal cord and his entire back felt like it was on fire, "and when I went to see him this morning, Professor Hojo started encouraging me to fight Grand Horns in his simulation chamber. I assume that if he is putting pressure on me to battle difficult monsters, he must feel that I have made a full recovery...after all…"

His face darkened and his eyes filled with anger as he recalled how arrogant and inconsiderate Hojo had been the last time that they had met four days ago.

"It would set back his research if I suffered injury fighting monsters while I was unwell," he added, hoping that Angeal would buy this lie, the annoying questioning would cease, and they could talk about other things, such as…

 _…Where to stage the fight, what materia to bring and what limitations we should have, if any,_ Sephiroth thought, as Angeal accepted his explanation and reluctantly backed off, giving the general the space that he needed to plan everything out.

"We'll set the projection for Junon Canyon," Sephiroth eagerly said. "And we'll…use powerful elemental materia and punch materia," he said, as he held up a Hell Thundaga, Hell Firaga and Hell Blizzaga materia, "and we'll…"

He started to say that defensive Summons were fine to use, but quickly changed his mind, because Genesis had been hinting that he had found another Phoenix to replace the one that had been given away and the last thing they needed was for the talented commander to let out _that Summon_ and have it cast beneficial effects on its master.

"We will fight until one of us yields," he determinedly said, while Angeal stared at the materia with dismay.

"How do you want to stage the fight?" Lazard uneasily asked, wondering how Sephiroth intended to squeeze all the staff members and cadets who would want to observe the match into a simulation room that would only hold forty-five people at max capacity. "You are aware that we are going to run out of seats very quickly, are you not? If you do not want to use a simulation," he suggested, "we could hold the fight downstairs in the evening and…"

The idea was instantly dismissed by Sephiroth, who found the idea of staging a fight that Hojo could attend to be repulsive.

"I do not want to stage the fight in the basement," he lied, "for it will give him room to use the 'keep away' tactics that he loves and he will win by default because we will all die of boredom before the fight ends, and I _do not_ want there to be a live audience of any sort, because –" He hesitated for a moment, knowing that _"I do not want to invite Doctor Hojo!"_ would not go over well with Lazard. "Because...there will be nasty area effect materia and attacks being used that could end up hurting someone in the audience," he went on, holding out the Hell Firaga materia, "and I…"

He rolled his eyes as he thought of people "ooh-ing," "aah-ing" and flipping out over their "amazing" abilities.

"I honestly want to keep this professional," he informed the Director, "and not have it turn into an opportunity for the curious to see what a SOLDIER 1st is capable of doing. If they want to see me in action, they can…enroll, take the entrance exams and fight alongside me in battle."

"I will challenge Genesis tonight," Sephiroth informed his co-workers, not knowing that sparring was the last thing that his commander wanted to do when he was feeling so run down, "and we will record the duel and if the board questions your decision to place him in charge of the mission, you will have the tape to show them."

He held out his hand, offering it to Lazard.

"Do you agree with what I have said?" the general demanded. "Can we finalize this and begin preparing the paperwork that he will need to fill out? I would like to be able to present it to him before he accepts a different mission and we lose him."

There was a long pause and for a moment, Sephiroth thought that Lazard was going to refuse or to demand further assurances that this would not backfire, but at last the Director reached out, took his hand and firmly shook it, signifying that he was willing to send Genesis in Angeal's stead.

"He can have the mission," Lazard reluctantly said. "You have my word."

And then it occurred to him…

"Commander Rhapsodos is a _very_ competent person, but this mission is so involved that even a person who is as skillful as he is will require help," Lazard mused. "I would like to send a SOLDIER to assist him. Perhaps SOLDIER 1st Class Fair would be interested in accompanying him to Wutai as…is there a problem with that?"

The Director blinked uncertainly as Sephiroth dismissively turned away and the look on Angeal's face revealed that the First Sergeant thought that pairing those two up would be a _very bad idea_.

"I am getting the impression that the two of you do not think that that would be a good thing to do. I assume that they do not have compatible personalities," he said, as he held up his hands to indicate that he did not want to know what obnoxious thing laidback, fun-loving Zack had done to annoy Genesis or what nasty actions Genesis had taken to retaliate in return.

~********~

The Director sighed, realizing that the other 1sts - who were not as tolerant, patient or open-minded as Zack Fair was - would have also problems with being sent on the mission. He racked his brains, debating whether he wanted to offer the assistant position to one of the commander's close friends or ask Tseng to accompany Genesis, but neither option felt like it would be a good solution to him.

He shook his head, knowing that Angeal would decline, that it would be embarrassing and inappropriate for him to send the _general_ to Wutai as Genesis' _helper,_ and that they could not afford to take Tseng away when the man was badly needed to deal with problems in Midgar.

He wrung his hands in frustration and was about to give up when it occurred to him that a mature, talented and thick-skinned 2nd Class SOLDIER who got along with Genesis and was able to take constructive criticism and instruction from the difficult officer might also be able to get the job done. If only there was one available.

"It is a shame that Cloud Strife is not in SOLDIER," he said, regretting that the boy was only a cadet. "It appears that he and Genesis have a good dynamic and that he is a competent fighter. If he were in SOLDIER, I would consider sending him to Wutai as Genesis' assistant…perhaps…"

His suggestion was met with blank stares.

"It will be a while before he is experienced enough to be Genesis' assistant," Angeal said. "This is his first year taking courses at the academy."

 _His first year?_ Lazard was incredulous.

"Yes, it is _only_ his first year," Angeal said, "but he fights like an advanced 3rd Class SOLDIER…maybe 2nd even."

He watched as Lazard entered the boy's name into the computer database.

"It is all very strange to me that someone this inexperienced has so much skill and talent," he admitted. "I was not sure what to make of it when Genesis began training Cadet Strife and I still do not know what to think."

He arched his black eyebrows as the record popped up and he read that Cloud's instructors considered him to be an average student who "could have potential" and that the boy had not taken any martial arts, gymnastics or sword fighting classes to prepare himself for SOLDIER.

"No prior experience," Lazard said, echoing what he was thinking. "And…"

The Director looked pointedly at them.

"Has the boy been tested for drugs?" Mr. Lazard demanded to know. "Have they…"

The blond-haired man breathed a sigh of relief as he moved his cursor further down the page and read that Cloud Strife had taken a drug test when he had arrived in Midgar and that he had passed another drug test a few days ago.

"Well, we can rule out performance enhancing drugs – since both of the tests that he has taken have turned up with negative results," he said. "I guess that means that…"

Angeal reached for the Teacher of the Year award that a student had given Director Lazard back when the man had done some teaching. "We should give this award to Genesis," he jokingly said.

"You know, that's not a bad idea," Lazard replied, and everyone in the room burst out laughing, except for Sephiroth, who was lost in thought, wondering what kind of SOLDIER Cloud would be like if he followed through on his plan to take the entrance exams.

As Lazard and Angeal discussed Genesis and his teaching methods, the aloof general drifted away from his boss and his best friend. He wandered over to the glass doors on the far side of the office, unlatched them, slid them open and slipped onto the balcony. He drew close to the steel railing, feeling anxious and uncertain about the promising ability that Cloud Strife had demonstrated, and as he looked down at the people milling about below, Sephiroth predicted that the boy would it would only take two years, maybe a year and a half, before the boy was recommended for SOLDIER 1st, for everything indicated that…

 _…This is someone who will rise quickly through the ranks once he makes it into SOLDIER,_ the general mused.

_And he has…he has…_

_He has honor that becomes someone who belongs in SOLDIER,_ Sephiroth realized, as he recalled how he had watched Cloud stand up for Zack after Genesis had gotten through insulting his friend. _I did not think that he had any honor when he came up to my office, but things have changed, new information has been discovered since then._

~**********~

Sephiroth shook his head as he played back other experiences that he had had with the boy and saw that he had been wrong and that Cloud Strife was a good person who fiercely defended the people whom he cared about, adhered to his principles, put aside personal differences with others to do the right thing, demonstrated consistency between words and actions, and tried his best to follow the chain of command.

The stubborn man bowed his shoulders, finally able to acknowledge that Genesis' student was an unselfish young man who freely helped others without expecting anything in return, viewed others with an open-mind, did not seek to get back at other people after they wronged him, and who respected the confidences of other people. And as Angeal opened the door and walked out onto the balcony, the tragic general reluctantly admitted to himself that…

_Cloud Strife is someone who can most likely be trusted on a personal **and** a professional level. I think - _

Sephiroth gazed down at the cars and the students hanging out beneath the balcony. He searched the street with anticipation, wondering if his sharp eyes would pick out Cloud amidst them all, and as Angeal tapped him on the arm, he softly said, "I've spent the past ten days attempting to see what Genesis sees in that boy, because it was bewildering to me that he would stand up for a person who came across to me as someone who was dishonorable, disloyal and untrustworthy. I did not know what to make of it, but now …"

"Now you understand why Genesis chose Cloud," Angeal finished for Sephiroth.

"Yes, now I understand," the general murmured. "And I think that –"

Sephiroth's eyebrows became rigid as he realized that the door was open and that Director Lazard could hear everything that they were saying from his desk.

"I think that you should have closed the door behind you so that flies, spiders and mosquitoes do not wander into the room, because…" the 1st reproachfully said in a loud voice, as he turned around, glared at the eavesdropping Director and reached out to close the door. "It is unhygienic to have insects in the office," he added, as he slid the door shut and then quickly turned away from the windows so that the curious Director would not be able to see the expression on his face. "Flies spreading germs and mosquitoes carrying diseases…"

Angeal chuckled, finding it hard to conceal his amusement as he saw that Sephiroth was using bugs as an excuse to close the door, rather than call the Director on his eavesdropping.

"There are a lot of mosquitoes and flies out here – I think I see one now," First Sergeant Hewley said, as he directed his friend's attention to the spider web that stretched between the potted plants on the balcony. His body rocked with suppressed laughter as Sephiroth looked at the web and the general arched his eyebrows and made a disgusted-looking face. "Since there are so many insects out here," he could not resist teasing his uptight, very reserved best friend, "I would recommend that we go back inside and continue this discussion in Director Lazard's office? We would be far safer in there than out here with all these bugs running rampant?"

The general snorted, assuming that Angeal was serious about going back inside.

"I would rather stay out here for now. There are some topics that I would rather not discuss around Lazard and I do not want to be around him until he has finished his pipe," Sephiroth said with finality, as he folded his arms and leaned against the door to prevent First Sergeant Hewley from opening it. "I cannot stand to inhale tobacco smoke and it looked to me like he was getting ready to light the pipe on his desk when I came out here."

He winced as throwing his weight against the door agitated his back and the wing that he did not know that he had been reincarnated with slammed against his bone.

"I wonder if he has finished smoking it?" the pained general asked. He pulled away from the door and peeped inside to see if the Director was still trying to spy on them.

Angeal sighed, realizing that yet another attempt to make Sephiroth laugh had failed miserably.

"I don't think that he plans on smoking his pipe," First Sergeant Hewley said. "I think that he…"

He pulled up a balcony chair and slid into it, deciding that he might as well make himself comfortable.

"I think that he is printing out the paperwork that Genesis and his student will need to fill out if they decide that they want to continue working together," he went on, feeling it was important that Sephiroth know that the Director had been quite annoyed to learn that Commander Rhapsodos had made the decision to train Cloud on his own and not gone through the proper channels to get it approved. "Mr. Lazard is concerned that safety procedures and training guidelines are not being followed and wants to make certain that everything is being done the correct way…to prevent liability."

"I take it that he wants Genesis and the Strife boy to review the guidelines and request a mentorship," Sephiroth said with a frown, doubting that Genesis would react well to the Director putting pressure on him to join the teaching program. "I understand his reasoning, but does he know that Cloud is working with Genesis, because he owes me detention, and that there are only two days left before he finishes serving all the detentions? And that Genesis never intended to do this long-term?"

The general gazed at Angeal's face searchingly and the look on his best friend's face revealed that yes, the Director was aware of the situation, but that the blond-haired executive had his worries and feared that Genesis would continue the lessons after the detentions were over.

"I see," Sephiroth skeptically said. "Have you heard GR tell the boy that he will instruct him how to use high-level materia once he is in SOLDIER?"

He arched his eyebrows and Angeal said, "Yes, I have."

"And he warned Cadet Strife that he expects a 3rd class SOLDIER to be able to defeat the digital infantryman simulation." Sephiroth shook his head in wonder as First Sergeant Hewley described Genesis had tried to subtly ask him, earlier in the day, how a lightweight person could be taught how to wield a heavy Buster Sword. "And he is asking you questions that make you suspect that he is putting together lesson plans for several weeks’ worth of training? And…"

The general's entire face became unreadable as Angeal informed him that he had caught Genesis filling out detention slips when the boy had been obediently cleaning up the simulation room. "He is writing Cloud Strife up for….doing as he is told?"

 _Yes, he is filling out detention forms for offenses that Cloud has not committed,_ Angeal thought with disappointment.

"You are certain about what you saw?" Sephiroth demanded.

"I spent five minutes watching him fill out the slips before he sensed that I was reading what he wrote," Angeal said, "and I hope that being caught causes him to reconsider, because if he starts giving Cloud the slips, I intend to speak to him about it and let him know that I don't find it to be honorable behavior when…"

"You feel that he should go through the proper channels and apply for a mentorship, not try to concoct reasons to keep the cadet indefinitely in detention with him once the boy finishes serving his time," Sephiroth dryly said.

"Exactly," Angeal replied.

"Angeal," the general suddenly said, realizing that Angeal was mistaken and that the slips would not be used to force Cloud to continue taking lessons when it would be far less hassle for Genesis to propose that they continue to covertly train together. "Have you considered that he might not intend to assign Cloud Strife detention? Has it occurred to you that he might want to have detention slips ready so that he can _claim_ that he is writing the boy up if busybody people demand to know why training is still going on? Have you –"

"First Sergeant," Sephiroth quickly said, as his best friend grimaced and geared up to give a big speech about honor, discipline and the appropriate way to use detention slips, "there is a simple solution to this: tell Genesis that Director Lazard insists that he join the mentorship program next time that you see him, and you will not have to worry about him doing questionable things with the detention slips. Make it clear to him that the Director is watching him and he will abandon the idea of trying to secretly train the boy and make up reasons to legitimatize what he is doing."

He scowled as his words were lost on the honest man and First Sergeant Hewley began to lecture him about honesty, being proud of who you are and not using underhanded tactics to conceal your shame, and serving as a good role for impressionable young cadets.

"If you…"

He sighed and made a mental note to himself to _schedule an appointment with a therapist_ so that his _morally uptight_ friend could get the help that he _badly needed._


	21. Torn in Two

**Chapter Twenty-One - Torn in Two**

_Midgar - εуλ 0000_

"Hey you, yeah you, wake up. Earth to you! We're waiting on you!" Reno laughed at Cloud as they stood in the mess hall thirty minutes after work and detention had ended for the day. "If you don't want food, like let us know!" the mouthy kid squawked. "I dunno about you, but some of us want to eat tonight, and get the food before it gets too cold to eat and becomes all –"

Reno rolled his eyes as Cloud looked up, gave him a _look,_ and then politely proceeded to ask the food server how many calories were in the ribs that she was preparing.

"Aw, man, Cloud!" he protested, when the blond-haired boy turned his attention to the barbecue sauce and inquired about the ingredients. "What is up with you and this think before you order thing all of a sudden? I mean, come on."

His eyes sparked with horror as Cloud informed the lady that the barbecue sauce that came with the ribs had too high cholesterol content for him, but that he would take some mixed vegetables, a baked potato and some asparagus shoots instead.

"Dude," he said, stepping out of line and getting up in Cloud's face, "are you turning into some sort of health nut now? Did First Sergeant get to you?"

 _No, he didn't_ , Cloud snorted, and he rolled his eyes and stiffly said, "Hello, Reno, how are you doing. Well, I hope?"

"Oh yeah, yo, doing good," the irresponsible boy said with a grimace. "It's a lot of fun standing here watching you judge the cooking. I'm having a great time here, yo, working up an appetite while you do your thing."

He slapped Cloud on the back as the cadet sauntered by him.

"Nothing beats being really hungry!"

 _Except kicking your teeth in,_ Cloud dryly thought. _You are driving me crazy._ "You aren't thinking about stealing my food, are you?" he could not resist sarcastically asking when Reno overstepped his personal boundaries by getting up in his face as he reached for his vegetable side dish. "You seem very interested in what I'm having and I am beginning to fear for the safety of my food."

He brought up his plate so that Reno could see the sparkling green lettuce, the wet chunks of tomato, the pieces of cauliflower and the carrot slices.

 _Interested in what you are having? Hell no! No way!_ Reno made a disgusted face and threw his hands up in the air. He started to slowly back away from the steaming vegetables and kept his arms held up to indicate to the kid from Nibelheim that he had gotten the wrong impression, that he had no interest in eating such crap, and that just being around such disgustingly healthy food made him feel sick to his stomach. He started to say something about how lame he thought it was that his "friend" was missing out on the smoking hot ribs, the buttery mashed potatoes, the delicious macaroni with its thick and creamy cheese sauce and the amazing fish rolls that the cooks were pulling off the grill, but never got the chance to finish ranting, because the sight of Cloud snatching up greasy French fries, salty potato chips and high fat cheeseburgers was too WTF for him to deal with. Not believing what he was seeing after Strife had made such a big deal about getting healthy food, he cautiously pulled up alongside the shorter boy for a closer view.

"I guess you decided to get food that's bad for ya?" he asked when Cloud put in a request for some chicken nuggets to go with his cheeseburger. "Just couldn't resist after all, could you, yo?"

Cloud shook his head. "This plate," he said, pointing to the plate overflowing with "junk food," "is for me and the other one is for one of the SOLDIERs. I'm going to give it to him and not ask for _any_ sort of compensation in return," he sternly added, as Reno made some wise remark about how he could go into catering if he decided that he did not want to be in SOLDIER, "because that would be _wrong_ for me to do when my mentor asked me to bring him some food–"

He nearly did a face palm as his companion suggested that he could always start charging if he wanted to.

"Never mind," he said in exasperation, as he slid his tray down the line to the next food server. "It's not worth talking about with you."

_Wait. Mentor…?_

Reno tapped Cloud on the shoulder as he turned to go and tugged on the sleeve of his shirt. He was all smiles as Cloud slowly turned around to glower suspiciously at him. "What's this here you say about having a mentor?" he asked in an overly friendly voice that failed to conceal that he was fishing for information. "I didn't know that you were working with someone, but I'm not surprised that they snatched you up, yo!"

He gazed at Cloud curiously as the other boy sighed in exasperation at him.

"I mean, you are – what's the word –" He twiddled his thumbs, searching for the right words, as he recalled how Cloud had been complimented by their phys. ed. instructor for the power that he had demonstrated and the muscle that he had put on. "You're strong, you have kick ass endurance…and…you gotta admit, Cloud, you are one _mean_ gymnast. I mean - the moves that I caught ya doing after class…those were really fierce and deadly…tell me…how the hell did you learn that kind of stuff?"

 _By being forced to learn them under duress and torture,_ Cloud wryly thought, remembering how Genesis had yelled at him, berated him, and made him do sit-ups every time that he failed to execute a move properly and crash-landed on his back or fell flat on his face. _It was excruciating._

But of course he was not going to tell Reno all that.

"I have a good _coach,"_ Cloud said, deciding that it would be inappropriate to refer to the 1st as his mentor when the difficult commander had repeatedly emphasized that this was an _unofficial, non-Lazard approved_ thing that they were doing. "He has high expectations…pushes me to my limit…is flexible and willing to try new things…"

His cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he thought of how Genesis had overcome his reservations and devoted three days to helping him practice with an oversized sword that was similar to First Tsurugi in size and weight.

"And he offers great constructive criticism…and he is a _good_ man…" he whispered.

"Good man, eh? If you can put me through to your connection and arrange a meeting, yo," the redheaded boy said, "I'd app-ree-cee-ate it, 'cause I wouldn't mind learning how to do some of the things that he's taught you to do."

He smiled at his 'friend' as he pumped up the _good old Reno charm_ and offered to help him carry the overloaded food tray, even though it looked like Cloud had the situation under control.

"If you could set something up, it would really make my –"

He did not have time to get the _charm_ going, because a 2nd Class SOLDIER, who was doing cafeteria monitoring duty, spotted him and called him on "cutting in line."

"Crap," Reno yelped, "there's been a mistake here! I've been in line the entire time! I _never_ stepped out of it, not even for a moment! Cloud, tell him!"

"Sorry," Cloud said, "but I can't do that. It wouldn't be the right thing to do. I can try, though, to make it up to you with–"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out an oversized candy bar.

"Take this," he said, tossing it to the Turk wannabe as the cafeteria monitor picked up Reno's food tray and indicated that it was time to _get moving_. "I have an extra candy bar on me and I want you to have it, because it's your favorite kind of chocolate! And it has the almond nuts that you like!"

Reno caught the bar, held it up and dubiously glowered at the candy wrapper as the cafeteria monitor made off with his food. "Yo don't say?" he irritably asked. "It really has…"

His eyes lit up as he read the list of ingredients on the package and he saw that the candy bar was indeed loaded with the nuts that he loved.

"Damn! Day-em, Cloud, you rock," he said, forgiving the blond for refusing to lie on his behalf. "This is…really…awesome of you and your coach," he added, unable to resist testing Cloud Strife. "Tell Zack that Reno says thank you when you see him tonight, yo!"

 _Wait. Was Reno saying what he thought he was saying?_ Cloud's eyes widened.

"Zack is back from his training sessions?" the young swordsman wondered, confirming the suspicion that Reno had that SOLDIER 1st Class Fair was not the person behind all the mentoring and coaching, whichever of the two it was _._ "Did you see him today?"

He lunged forward and grabbed the redhead's arm.

"Did you – did you talk to him?" Cloud breathlessly asked, feeling excited that he would finally be able to congratulate his best friend for his promotion, hopeful that the training had gone well and Zack had received the recognition and praise that he deserved, and a little disappointed that he would not be able to spend time with the older boy tonight with homework once again piling up on him. "Did he say how things went and did he say when he would be free again?"

"Ummm."

Reno turned away from his 'friend,' suddenly disinterested in the whole mentorship thing _._ He slid his arm free and made a rude gesture at the cafeteria monitor _,_ and as Cloud came up to him and urgently asked again if Zack was back, the irritated redhead muttered something that sounded like, "Yeah, yeah, I think he's back, it sure looked like him, yo!" and then followed up with, "I don't know how long it's gonna take! A kid on a power trip swiped my food and is making me stand at the back of the line! I won't exactly be there in a jumping jack flash, but don't forget to save a spot for me at the table, would ya?"

Cloud rolled his eyes as Reno started after the overzealous cafeteria monitor. He turned back to the cashier, smiled politely at her to conceal his disappointment and frustration that he had gotten non-answers from the Turk wannabe, and when she asked him if he would need any assistance carrying such an overloaded tray, he told her "no thank you," because the person he was buying food for was not in a good mood.

"I've got it under control," he said, and he rose up on the balls of his feet, held a hand up to his eyes and squinted, trying to make out what Genesis was doing on the far side of the room. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," the woman said. "Here's your…"

"Keep it!" Cloud said, not waiting for her to hand him his receipt.

_I can't take it. I've got to..._

… _Save everyone in the cafeteria,_ he urgently thought, as he realized that several of the students were starting to gawk at Genesis and gossip about him. _Prevent a national disaster from occurring! Hurricane Genesis is approaching the continent,_ he shuddered.

 _Time to clear the area._ _Don't stand in the storm's way…_

_~***********~_

"I'm sorry that it took so long," Cloud apologetically said, as Genesis looked up at him and pointed commandingly to the exit to indicate that they were _not_ going to stand around the mess hall talking to one another and that he wanted to get away from the busybody students who were driving him apeshit. "I wanted to…"

He gripped the tray tightly as the annoyed 1st swept passed him and the door that Sephiroth's second had been holding open started to close in his face.

"…Make certain that the food that I picked out for you was food that you would eat…"

He gritted his teeth as he caught the door with his leg and it hit him painfully across the kneecap, causing his bones to throb and ache.

"There were a lot of sugary and high cholesterol foods, which really limited your options," he said with a wince. "And the food servers…were not certain about some of the food that looked like it might be healthy. I had to ask them and…Reno was not making it easy for me either with his goofy ways," he added, once they were in the elevator at the end of the hall.

"Coming," he said. "On my way!"

He quickly scampered inside as the irritated commander pressed the button to close the door.

"Made it..."

"Yes, I see that you made it, and for a moment you had me worried…" the frustrated man said in a forced voice, and the tone that he used made his pupil look at him strangely, for it was the first time that he had ever shown such weariness and lack of passion and conviction around the boy before. "I was almost afraid that it take you two weeks to find your way to the elevator and that I would have to reprimand you for failing to promptly carry out my orders. You also had me scared that you were about to provoke a fight with other students!"

He warningly held up the detention slips that had Angeal had caught him filling out a few days ago to imply that he was not in the mood to put up with any sort of stupidity and that he wanted to get back to his apartment ASAP.

"It is a good thing that you got it together," Genesis said, "or I would have no choice but to write you up and you would have found yourself forced to spend several more hours with me yelling at you, demanding that you do mind numbing exercises and you would have ended up baby-sitting your friend the pull-up bar."

He lowered his hand so that Cloud could see that the dreaded pieces of paper had already been signed and the boxes checked off and he stood there as the boy inched forward to read what he had written.

"You wouldn't like that, would you?"

"No way!" Cloud cringed. "That would..."

 _It would "suck," wouldn't it, having to do five hundred more pull-ups every time that you let me down_ , Genesis thought, as he stared at his student searchingly, wondering if the comments that he had made about spending "several more hours" together would make the blond realize that they only had two or three afternoons of detention left, and after that they would no longer be forced to put up with each other. _And you wouldn't be able to stand several more days of having me scream at you, berate you, bruise your ego and tell you that the performances that you are putting in are spectacularly unimpressive and Back to Basics 3rd Class 101, would you?_

 _Do you feel relieved that this is all coming to an end,_ the commander silently asked the boy. _Do you feel that it has gone on too long? Do you feel frustrated that detention is cutting into time that you could be spending with your good friend? Or…_

The emotionally and physically drained SOLDIER turned from the young cadet and he gazed remotely at the elevator doors, not wanting the boy to see how deeply this was affecting him. He shrugged his shoulders, tossed his head and thrust out his jaw, trying to look cool, aloof and stoic, but he found that it was hard to feign indifference as he thought of the hours that they had spent training for the exams. As he looked back at how far Cloud had come under his tutelage, his strong hands trembled and his sickly body shook.

His cobalt blue eyes filled with relief and cold, bitter and angry laughter nearly spilled from his parched lips as he realized that a part of him hoped that the child would ask him to continue their training, and that they would carry on until…until…

 _Until you make it to the top and are an officer,_ Genesis thought, trying to imagine what a hell of a SOLDIER 1st Cloud would be with him influencing him, guiding him and steering him away from _dull, dimwitted, inconsiderate people. With me at your side, you would be one of the most skillful materia users the world has ever seen,_ _and…you would be so fast that no one would be able to keep up with you or hit you. You would wear them down and when you hit them._

_And you would..._

_~*********~_

Genesis shook his head as he stared at Cloud and felt longing to pass his skills down to the boy and recreate the young cadet in his image, disgust that he was considering this, and disappointment, because his mistrusting mind doubted that the boy would want to spend additional time with him when a world of friends, freedom and non-abusive people who could teach the same skills awaited beyond the blue horizon.

 _Why have you come to me,_ Genesis wondered, _when there are people like Zackary and Angeal who would be willing to teach you?_

_Why would you seek out the monster? And why…_

_Why am I considering taking on such a difficult, stressful long-term commitment when I have personal goals that I want to achieve?_ Genesis asked himself. _If I signed on to mentor you for several years, I would have to turn down desirable missions to spend time with you, re-arrange my schedule to develop lesson plans, delegate responsibilities that I have busted my ass to get to other people, because I would not be able to devote myself to teaching and work, and pass on leadership opportunities that I **deserve** to have, because I am..._

… _I am a hero,_ he told himself, _and if I agreed to mentor you for several years, I would go from hero to zero, because a person only remains a hero when they are distinguishing themselves and in the spotlight. I don't want to…_

_~**********~_

_You don't want to fade away from the public eye and be forgotten the way Angeal has been forgotten,_ Cloud guessed. _You fear that the perception that people would have of you as a teacher would overshadow the heroic image that you want them to associate with you and...I agree that if you did actively start mentoring someone that you playing teacher is what people would see._

He smiled sadly as he made the connection that Genesis had wanted him to make and realized that the lessons that had pushed him to his limit and made him excel were coming to an end and that the rest would be up to him.

 _Thank you for helping me,_ he quietly told Genesis, knowing that the ambitious commander would not offer to continue instructing him once detention was over and knowing that it would be inappropriate for him to ask when Genesis needed the freedom to achieve as many dreams as possible before…before…

 _Before he realizes that Shinra has betrayed him…_ Cloud thought, as he gazed sadly at his mentor and realized that the weariness that he had glimpsed earlier had not been a product of his over-stressed, weary imagination and that the strong, fiery, proud warrior who had stood up for him was withering and fading away before his very eyes.

… _Before he sees that everything he took for granted about himself is a lie.._.

… _Before he feels despair, wondering where he goes from here…_

… _Before he doubts himself and starts to think of himself as a monster…_

… _Before he learns that he is terminally ill and that he is falling to pieces,_ Cloud mentally choked, because it suddenly felt very wrong to him to be keeping such a big secret from the man who had become almost like a…

 _A friend, you treat me like a friend,_ Genesis thought, reaching out to reimburse the boy for the dinner that he had been unwilling to go grab himself.

Cloud closed his fingers around the gil that he was holding out and shook his head.

Genesis sighed and pulled his hand back, accepting the boy's refusal. _I-I don't understand_ , he hesitated. _Even friends want to be reimbursed._

"Why are you doing this?" he asked when they had reached his floor and gotten off the elevator.

 _Because it is the right thing to do,_ Cloud shrugged. _I don't want to be reimbursed when you put yourself out there and stood up for me, have spent hours helping me get ready for the exams, have offered me honest constructive criticism and treated me with more respect than you give to…well…umm…most people_ …a _nd…I just wouldn't feel right asking to be reimbursed when I want to do something nice for you for a change,_ he silently informed his mentor.

~********~

"Want me to help you get those?" Cloud offered, when Genesis dropped his keys on the floor outside his apartment and uttered a loud "damn!"

"No, I don't want..." Genesis rolled his eyes as Cloud bent down and picked up the keys before he could finish what he was saying.

He leaned in the door way, feeling perplexed as Cloud held out the keys to him and asked him if he wanted help carrying anything inside.

As the child pointed out that it looked like he had his hands full with all the paperwork and the equipment that he had brought home with him from work, he stared at his student uncomfortably, unused to people doing such considerate, simple things for him. And when the boy offered to wrap up the food from the mess hall for him and put it in the refrigerator, he wondered if something was going on that made Cloud feel compelled to do these nice things for him.

Concerned that there was something going on behind his back, Genesis eyed his protégé warily, searching for signs that would indicate that something foul was afoot.

Thinking that perhaps the boy's body language would betray him when Cloud seemed to be less guarded about his feelings than normal, the suspicious commander took in the cadet's achy, shaky wrists; stooped shoulders that seemed stiff and hunchbacked to him; fingers that were trembling; legs that read jittery to him; and hazy blue eyes to him that suddenly struck him as unhappy, uncertain, defeated and sad.

Disturbed by what he was seeing, he reached out, cupped Cloud's chin with his hands and guided it up, so that the child had no choice but to look at him…and as their eyes met, the intimidating, overwhelming officer leaned in and watched as the color drained from his student's face, the corners of the boy's lips twitched, going from smile to frown to smile again, sweat-soaked temples became warm and flustered, and Cloud lowered his eyes and tried to look away from him.

Certain now that there was something most definitely wrong and that there was a reason for such kindness, Genesis let go of the trembling chin, calmly placed his hands on Cloud's shoulders and bent down so that they were standing at eye level with each other.

"I am getting the impression that something is _not right,"_ Genesis said, "because you have _not_ been acting like yourself ever since you came back from the mess hall. If something happened while you were in line getting food for me, please let me know and I will fix things and set them straight. If that _Reno boy_ or any of the other cadets been giving you a hard time or making you feel uncomfortable I can –"

Genesis paused as Cloud indicated that no, it was not that.

"If no one is giving you a hard time, does your problem have to do with Zackary?" Sephiroth's best officer demanded to know. "Have you two had a falling out? Is that why you are so upset?" he bluntly asked, and Cloud stiffened at the mention of SOLDIER 1st Class Fair.

 _God no,_ Cloud thought, hoping that he had not misled people and caused them to think that he and Zack were fighting. _As far as I know, Zack and I are as "tight" as ever_.

The blond haired cadet shook his head. "We're not fighting with each other," Cloud guardedly said.

"Conflict with the general?" Genesis asked with baited breath, suspecting that the problem might have to do with Sephiroth. "I hope that you have not had another run in with General Sephiroth. It would be very misfortunate if you did have a confrontation with him," he said through clenched teeth, and felt very, very relieved when Cloud gazed at him evenly, and reassured him that as far as he knew, the general was not displeased with him.

"Good."

~********~

Genesis sighed with relief, feeling very relieved that the two were not fighting, but the way that the boy's voice wavered when SOLDIER was mentioned made the 1st wonder.

As the boy pulled back and gave him a pleading look to indicate that these questions were starting to make him feel awkward and uncomfortable, it occurred to the commander that the fear that their lessons would be discontinued might be the reason that the cadet was so anxious and upset. The fact that the boy had seemed to get really upset around the time that he had started to imply their detention sessions would soon be over, then started to do nice things for him within minutes after such a suggestion had been made, added further credibility to his assumption that such a fear could very well indeed be the cause of Cloud's discomfort.

 _I feared that this would happen,_ Genesis wearily thought.

He gazed coldly at Cloud through half-slitted eyes and tried to think of a nice way to tell the boy that he was not going to enroll in the mentorship program, that from now on there were going to be limited training opportunities, and that he had his career to think about.

 _They always seem to get attached,_ he snarled, shifting about uncomfortably and regretting that he had mentioned that their lessons were coming to an end.

 _They velcro themselves to me, think that we are joined at the hip, and then have a heart attack when I make it clear to them that is time to leave the nest,_ he snarled. _And they always scuff their feet and throw a tantrum when I tell them to piss off,_ he irritably thought, failing to overlook the fact that he had filled out the slips during a moment when finding ways to keep the boy in detention so that he could continue training him had seemed like a very good idea.

_Is it any wonder that I can't stand up?_

_~********~_

"Cloud," Genesis solemnly said, once they were inside his apartment, "I think that I've figured out what is bothering you…and I think that we need to talk about it before you leave, because it seems to be a cause of great distress to you, and I do not want this to continue to be an issue several days from now. If you continue to make an issue out of it, I will not have the patience to deal with you – do you understand?"

Cloud tensed, disturbed that Genesis appeared to have taken something that he had done or failed to do personally, and he started backing away towards the kitchen area as a ball of black and brown fur waddled into the room, and the commander's cat looked up at him with glowing, inquisitive blue eyes. "Yes, sir," he said in an uneasy voice. "I understand."

"I am glad to hear that you understand," the 1st said in a dead serious tone. "I will hold you to your word...and if you fail to stick to your word, there will be consequences."

He leaned over, opened a side drawer, pulled out a box of Kleenexes and tossed them to his protégé, who was starting to sniffle and sneeze, courtesy of the cat.

"I don't want to be disappointed with you, Cloud," he simply said. _"Don't_ let me down!"

 _I don't want to let you down,_ Cloud told the 1st, as he tried to narrow down _what exactly_ he had done to set off the suspicious, easily offended SOLDIER, _and if I have let you down…I'm sorry. And apologize. Please know that..._

… _I care about you and your feelings,_ Strife thought with horror, realizing that he had failed to be professional about this as he had originally planned, and that Genesis had gotten under his skin. _I no longer see you as an instructor, an officer or a future co-worker, but…_

He shuddered and the corners of his mouth trembled, as he sorrowfully admitted to himself that it would be very hard now for him to raise his sword against Genesis if the man went off his rocker when he revealed the truth about the experiments and the degradation.

… _A friend – I see you as a friend,_ he somberly thought, as he wondered whether this change in their relationship was going to make him emotional, impair his judgment and cause him to act recklessly for Genesis' sake. _You've become…almost like Zack to me. I…_

 ** _"I_** want you to know that I have assignments and duties that I need to attend to once you finish serving your detentions," Genesis firmly said, "and we won't be able to continue getting together for practice like we have been doing."

He gazed at Cloud with bewilderment and surprise as the young cadet nodded understandingly at him.

"You don't feel disappointed?" Genesis demanded to know, stunned by Cloud's reaction. "You don't feel like you're being…"

 _Abandoned or left out in the cold?_ Cloud shook his head. "I don't feel disappointed," he said in a voice that was full of sincerity and conviction, "because I realize that the lessons couldn't go on forever. They were nice while they lasted, but."

He smiled warmly at Genesis, wanting the commander to see how grateful he was that he had helped him get ready for the exams.

"Yes?" a stunned Genesis asked.

"You're a busy person with a lot of responsibilities," Cloud continued, "and you have a lot of people who you oversee and honestly, sir –I wouldn't feel right taking up any more of your time when you have done so much for me. I would feel like I was…interfering and preventing you from doing the things that you need to do to make this place run smoothly and effectively…and…"

Cloud shook his head sadly as it occurred to him that Genesis had very little time left before the signs of degradation made themselves known and the friend he cared about was running to see Hollander, demanding to know why his hair was turning white, his flesh was coming loose and hanging off his body and the things he took for granted suddenly gave him extreme difficulty.

"I'm sure that you have missions that you want to go on," he added. "You…"

 _You are the most unselfish, thoughtful student I have ever met,_ a shaken Genesis thought, seeing now that he had once again been mistaken about the boy.

His angry, questioning eyes relaxed as he stood there and realized that Cloud was putting his needs before his own needs, wanted to see him pursue his ambitious dreams and succeed, and that the boy _truly_ cared about him _and_ respected him and that…that this level of care and respect that the boy was giving him was the kind of care and respect that…

… _Angeal and Sephiroth give me,_ Genesis murmured to himself, as he placed Cloud up alongside his two best friends for comparison and saw that the boy was as _considerate_ as they were, as _nice to him_ as they were, as _mature_ as they were and as _trustworthy_ as they were.

~****************~

No! What was he thinking? That could not be!

Genesis drifted forlornly over to the windowsill, alarmed that he was seeing such similarities when only three weeks ago he had told a co-worker who was acting overly familiar with him to back off, because they _were not_ Sephiroth and Angeal, and no one else would measure up to what he already had.

His uncertain eyes quivered, becoming a churned up soup of frothy white-black-and-cobalt blue, as he tentatively reached out to touch the wooden sill and the lacy white curtains flapped out like giant feathered wings to caress his reddened face. His dried lips parted and powerful hands balled up, becoming fists, as he wandered around the room and told himself that he was thinking such things because he was overstressed, overworked, overtired and had judgment-clouding Nembutal racing through his bloodstream.

Stunned by what he was seeing, Genesis stared into the eyes of a compassionate, understanding and caring boy who searched for the good in him.

Overlooked his emotional insecurities and hang-ups...

...and who considered him to be a whole person when he himself viewed himself as a flawed, failed individual who was only half the man that he could be.

Repulsed that Cloud Strife was offering him unconditional friendship and showing him such unwavering loyalty and devotion, Commander Rhapsodos made one final attempt to lose himself in his self-denial. He glared balefully at the boy, trying to think the most negative thoughts that he could about his student to naysay all the good that he saw reflected in the boy, and for awhile, it seemed to work - for Genesis was good at finding faults that were not there and talking himself into believing lies - and yet...eventually this, too, failed when the trick that he was using started to hit a little too close to home and get a little too personal.

~*******~

 _Damn it, damn it, damn it,_ Genesis mentally hissed with disappointment and dismay, as he saw that by lowering himself and tarnishing his own good character with such thoughts, Cloud was lifted up so that the boy's goodness shone even more brilliantly than it had ever shone before. _This is not what I intended._

 _This is not what I had in mind_.

_This is a fight that…_

He hung his shoulders in defeat as it occurred to him that he would never be able to convince himself that Cloud did not deeply care for him and that it was _pointless_ and _a waste of energy_ to keep throwing up smoke and wallowing in denial.

 _This is a fight that I just cannot win,_ Genesis admitted to himself, and he sank back defeatedly against the wall. _It's best that I just…_

He sighed softly, deciding that he would accept the gift of friendship that Cloud was offering him, and that if things worked out that he would start to reciprocate and gradually let the boy ease into his life the way he had let…

… _My best friends in,_ the commander thought as the fire in his eyes simmered, his hands relaxed and he tried to force himself to smile.

 _He will never be as close to me as Seph and Angeal, but_. _I think that there is a place for him in my life._

_~***********~_

Genesis rested his sickly eyes, finding comfort in knowing that Cloud was a person who would never betray him, never use him, never hurt him, never judge him and never be dishonest with him, and as he settled down to the truth and acceptance set in, the dying man let himself be guided by his emotions: He stood up and quickly walked across the room to his desk, suddenly feeling compelled to do a favor for Cloud that he had never done for a student before and that he would never do again. He reached out to touch his desk and...

...saw Cloud was about to back into his weapons rack.

"Earth to Cloud," Genesis barked. "Don't stand there with your mouth hanging open."

He pointed to a safer spot to stand in.

"Wake up!" he added. "Pay attention!"

He banged his hand loudly against the wooden desk as Cloud continued to stand there, misconstruing the warning and interpreting it as displeasure.

"Oh – never mind."

"Commander?" Cloud felt his heart sink as Genesis turned his back on him. He shook his head with disappointment and confusion as Commander Rhapsodos started to rummage through the papers scattered all over the desk and an icy silence descended upon the room. Surely, his mind rationalized, as Genesis began to throw things around, there was something that could be done to remedy the situation. Perhaps something that he could say?

"Sir," Cloud strongly said, assuming that Genesis was mad at him because he had not said enough to show that he accepted the situation with detention, "I want you to know that…I'm kind of glad that lessons are coming to an end, because…because this will be like a test for me. It will be an opportunity for me to apply what I've learned and try to figure things out for myself and…"

He hesitated, hoping that the way that he was phrasing things would not be misinterpreted by the 1st when no disrespect was intended.

"…And…I'm excited - I want to see how far I've come, and I think it would be harder for me to do that if you were standing there watching me, telling me what I was doing wrong and correcting me. And it's – it's up to me now," he said determinedly. "I'll take it from…"

 _Genesis…?_ he wondered, as what he said seemed to fall upon deaf ears. _Did you hear what I…?_

He shook his head, feeling very confused, as…

...One minute of silence passed – and Genesis sat there with his back turned.

"Commander?" Cloud dared to ask, when two minutes had gone by. "Would you like me to…" He trailed off mid-sentence, as it occurred to him that his worst possible fear had come true and Genesis had given up hope on him and lost all respect for him.

Three minutes passed without a reply…

Then four…

…And as the timer on the stove began beeping to indicate that they were up to five minutes now, the fading commander slowly turned around and gave Cloud the sheet of paper that he had been writing on.

~********~

 _What is this?_ Cloud blinked. He stared at the paper and saw that Genesis had written down a phone number, some times and made a note that looked like it said "GIVE THIS # OUT AND YOU  WILL DIE." _I don't understand…what is this for?_

He frowned as he read "RESPECT THESE TIMES OR DIE!!! _"_ at the very bottom of the page.

_What am I supposed to do with this number and why do you want me to have it?_

"Do you want me to call this person, sir?" he asked uncertainly. "I'm really not sure what to say them…and you have not even told me who they are," he added, "and I'm hesitant to call them when they do not know who I am and have very strict rules about their personal contact info," he doubtfully said, holding up the sheet of paper and pointing to the threats scrawled across the page. "I would not want to make them mad at me and you wrote right here that they'll kill people if you call them."

He sighed as Genesis suggested that he pick up the portable phone in the corner and try dialing the number to see if the person the number belonged to would show up at his dorm with torches, pitchforks and an angry mob. And then frowned as it occurred to him that the phone number Genesis had given him might belong to Sephiroth, who would be very angry if he disrupted him during work hours.

"Who exactly does this belong to…" he started to say, but was cut off mid-sentence as Genesis lost all patience with him and said…

"It's _my number."_

 _Your number…_ Cloud gazed at the paper in his hand with disbelieving, wide eyes as the significance of this gesture sank in on him. _Your **number?**_

"Yes, Cloud," Genesis said in a shaky, wavering voice that failed to conceal just how awkward he felt about giving his personal contact information out to someone who was _not a family member_ and _not part of his inner circle._ "It is my number. My _private, unlisted_ phone number that I have had to change several times now, because my personal information keeps ending up in online phone directories all over the internet – and if the information gets leaked, I will not hesitate to change it again," he bitterly added.

He sat down at his desk and began to sort through the missed messages that showed up on his answering machine.

"Please be responsible with it. Please do not give it out!" he said, in between messages.

"I understand and I want you to know you can count on me _,"_ Cloud sincerely said. "I won't give it out to anyone. Not even the general if he asks," he tried to joke, eyeing the commander with guarded eyes.

 _I hope that you didn't give me your number to test me,_ Cloud thought, as Genesis put on a headset to listen to _confidential_ messages that cadets had _no business_ hearing, and condescendingly said, "I'm glad to hear that you _understand._ It is always good to have an understanding...and...I also ask that you do not contact me or make use of this number _unless_ something urgent is going on or there is a need. I do not want to receive social 'hi how are you doing, guess what cool trick SOLDIER 1st Class Fair showed me – oops, we just blew up the simulation room' calls."

 _Oh don't worry, I wouldn't dream of calling you to talk about Zack,_ Cloud dryly thought. _I don't call people so I can talk smack about others. You might, but I'm **not** you!_

"Okay," he said, hoping that the conversation would not disintegrate into another Zack bashing session, "I understand. Under what circumstances would you like to be contacted then?"

The sickly commander laughed grimly. "Contact me if you have questions about technique or the exams," he said in a neutral tone of voice. "Or...give me...a call if you want to set up a time to meet outside of the times that we are going to be practicing together."

He handed the boy his planner and pointed to the dates that he had circled.

"Let me know if these times do not work for you," he said to the astonished boy, who could not believe that he had set aside four days for them to train together. "If they do not work, we will need to make a few changes," he continued.

He turned to the speechless boy and briefly placed his ungloved fingers on Cloud's shoulders to reassure the cadet and let him know that this was a sacrifice that he had decided he could make.

"We're not going to be meeting in the simulation rooms," he hastily added, as their eyes met and he saw gratitude, embarrassment that this was being proposed, badly concealed longing to continue working together and hope were reflected in the boy's features. "Prying little busybodies tend to drop by the simulation rooms uninvited and they tend to have big mouths. They gossip, word gets around and –"

He shuddered at the thought of Director Lazard finding out about what they would be doing, dragging him upstairs to the boardroom and _reaming_ him out for not following the rules for taking on a student.

"I _don't_ want to join the mentorship program," he flat out told the boy.

 _No, you don't seem like the type who likes to follow the rules or doing as you're told,_ Cloud thought, realizing that Genesis was undermining the Director so that he would still have the freedom to accept assignments that would help him advance his career. _I just hope that you don't get in trouble for it, because I don't want to see you end up in the hot seat on my behalf and…_

"I want you to know that I appreciate this –" Cloud carefully said at last, watching as Genesis played the next message on the answering machine and he saw disbelief and triumph, then frustration and annoyance in the commander's eyes. "It means a lot to me and I am excited about taking lessons with you, but."

His own eyes widened as the weary auburn-haired man thrust out his jaw in determination, threw down the headset and marched over to the chest where the strongest and most powerful materia that the 1sts were allowed to carry with them was stored.

"I don't want this to be an inconvenience for you when you have responsibilities and missions – don't go out of your way to make room in your schedule for me," he insisted, as Genesis began to put materia, a brutal looking leather whip, a poniard and a box full of potions into his duffel bag. "Don't…"

 _You don't intend for us to go practice somewhere at this hour, do you,_ Cloud wondered, confused by Genesis' behavior.

He watched as the 1st wrapped a black bandanna around his head and proceeded to strip off his gloves and Velcro on his dowel grips.

 _It's late and…_ "I have homework tonight – I can't practice this evening," the young warrior said, not realizing that practicing was the last thing that Genesis had in mind.

"And neither can I," the commander replied, rising to his feet.

He pointed to the door, indicating that it was time to leave.

"You should go," he said. "It is, as you have said, late and something has come up that requires my immediate attention. If I do not respond to this tonight, this opportunity may slip through my fingers," he said, replaying the very serious sounding message that Sephiroth had left on his answering machine in his mind, "and I do not want that to happen.

"Don't worry about being an inconvenience to me, Cloud," he strained, wishing that Sephiroth had not issued a challenge when he was so tired. "If you were an inconvenience, I wouldn't be doing this. Just…accept it?"

"Okay," Cloud said with an embarrassed smile. "If it's what you want, then I accept it," he whispered, staring after his mentor.

 _Good luck,_ he thought, not knowing that the duel Genesis was headed to would end with hurt feelings...

...shattered glass...

...blood-stained feathers...

...and torn up skin.


	22. The Shattered Glass

**Chapter Twenty-Two- The Shattered Glass**

_Midgar - εуλ 0000_

Sephiroth stood in the center of the simulation chamber, green irises sparkling with anticipation and excitement as he took in the sight of the Junon towers looming above him. As Angeal fiddled with the control panel on the far wall, customizing the simulated scenery so that it would feel crisper, clearer and more natural, the general gazed at the narrow platforms, confining stairwells and precariously positioned catwalks surrounding him. He noted the lack of running room, the absence of architecture and walls that one could hide behind, and the steep, sheer drop off the side of the side digital roof that they were going to use as a staging ground for their match, and nodded to show his approval. His lips twisted into a smile as he took in the shifting bridges, the uneven surfaces and the blinding glare created by the artificial sun, and his face glowed with triumph as he realized that the simulation that he had chosen would provide an enormous challenge to Genesis. He purred with contentment, knowing that friend would have to think creatively when they fought and come up with some new strategies instead of resorting to the tactics that he was extremely fond of using.

"Are you satisfied?" Angeal wondered, interrupting his thoughts. "Is everything to your liking or should I move parts of the building about? If it were me, I would move things." The black haired man frowned as he saw just how confining and unpleasant to fight in the simulated area that he had created truly was.

"I recommend that we increase the width of the main platforms and bridge leading to the cannon," First Sergeant Hewley suggested, not liking that the set up gave Sephiroth such a huge advantage over Genesis, "and open up the area a bit more." He arched a thick eyebrow as he reached for the buttons that would modify the bridge and the general sharply requested that he make no modifications.

"Seph?" he asked, in a reproachful tone of voice. "Narrow platforms and bridges are going to prevent Genesis from using many of his best moves and closed areas are also going to affect how he fights. Are you sure this is what you want?"

"I do not want to give Genesis more room," the general quietly explained, "or he will start racing around and flipping about and doing his tricks and that would undermine what I am trying to achieve."

He glided over to the control panel and looked First Sergeant Hewley squarely in the eyes so that his best friend would see that he was refusing to modify the simulation for Genesis' sake and not because he desired to have an advantage during the fight.

"Lazard will be embarrassed if we film GR using those tactics and he comes under fire for assigning him this mission and is forced to argue Genesis' qualifications," he added. "The board members will want to see that Genesis is forceful, aggressive and decisive and will question how qualified he is if he is playing keep away with me and doing elaborate flips and spins," he pointed out as a message popped up on the control panel screen that informed him that no further revisions could now be made to the simulation. "They will think that he is arrogantly trying to show off by adding 'bells and whistles' to his performance and they will question his temperament and judgment."

The general winced as First Sergeant Hewley accidentally turned the volume up too high and the microphones hanging from the ceiling hummed, buzzed and squealed in his sensitive and ears.

"They will dismiss him and put pressure on Lazard to send someone else in his stead if they leap to those conclusions," Sephiroth went on, "and you and I will most likely be sent in Genesis' stead, because Professor Hojo has been very displeased that we have the freedom to refuse missions."

Sephiroth looked at his best friend with exhausted, burned out eyes that betrayed him, revealing just how profoundly he had been affected by Doctor Hojo's tender loving care and having very little free will to call his own.

"He finds it counterproductive to the chain of command," he simply said, deciding that he did not care to get into the details when Genesis would be here any moment, "and he wants President Shinra to re-evaluate it at the next board meeting."

Angeal tensed up, wishing that he was not hearing this unpleasant news. "Are there any other long-standing policies that Doctor Hojo is trying to change?" First Sergeant Hewley grimly asked, while Sephiroth unfastened his steel shoulder armor and unbuckled his weapons harness. "Is he doing anything that would specifically affect Zack and the other Junior Officers?" He shuddered at the thought of SOLDIER 1st Class Fair being forced into unpleasant situations by the unpleasant Professor. "If there is a problem…" He felt immense relief as Sephiroth mouthed the word _'no.'_

"I see – it sounds like the science department is just concentrating on what affects the veteran members," he said, as Sephiroth shimmied out of his thick leather coat and slithered into a flowing black robe that was decorated with red, silver and gold stones.

 _Whoa, what are you doing?_ First Sergeant Hewley blinked as his best friend began to buckle on ornate looking shoulder armor and Sephiroth fastened a leather circlet around his forehead that was inscribed with ancient runes that he could not read.

"You have me wondering about your armor, because I've never seen you wear it." Angeal said softly.

He watched as the general folded up the black coat he normally wore and put it inside the duffel bag that he had brought with him and tilted his head with curiosity when Sephiroth tied a beautifully embroidered Wutainese sash about his waist.

"How did you get this armor? And how long have you had it?" he wondered. "It looks like it is from Wutai."

"From Wutai? Yes, it is from a cave that Genesis and I discovered when we were investigating the ruins outside Fort Tambelin a few months ago," Sephiroth said, recalling how the two of them had ventured deep into the ancient catacombs, seeking contraband weapons and supplies, and found a treasure trove of stolen artifacts and relics instead. "It is mine."

_Really?_

Angeal knit his brows in displeasure as it occurred to him that his superior officer had had an opportunity to return the treasures that he had found to Lord Godo's people, but that greed had gotten the better of Sephiroth and that the general had chosen to ship his discoveries back to Midgar instead. His lips thinned into a frown as a light bulb went off in his head and he realized that the art exhibition that Sephiroth had attended as a guest of honor had contained artifacts from the cave and that the priceless Wutaian sculptures and swords that Genesis had bragged about obtaining from Wutai had to have come from the plundered horde as well. He started to say something, wanting to let the silver-haired man know that he was disappointed that his two best friends had not respected the property rights of the ethnic people, but faltered as Sephiroth sensed the change in his mood and pointed to the video cameras that were filming everything that they did and the microphones that were picking up everything that that they said.

 _We'll...talk about this later,_ he decided.

 _I would rather not listen to you praise the virtues of items that do not belong to you,_ Angeal wanted to tell the general as the swordsman looked at him eagerly. _Let's talk about something else instead._

He shook his head to show that he was not interested in the subject matter and sighed softly when Sephiroth failed to take the hint and proceeded to talk about his new armor anyway.

"I decided that we could not _afford_ to leave the gear and weapons in the cave after we tested them out and saw how powerful they were," Sephiroth abruptly said, realizing the fact that the items were plundered was upsetting his best friend, "and returning such destructive relics to the Wutainese was out of the question, because they would have ended up being used against us – not put on display in a museum or cherished, because they belonged to somebody's ancestor. The last thing I want is to find myself up against an enemy fighter, wearing armor like this…"

He held out the end of his robe so that First Sergeant Hewley could see that the decorative rubies and gold work were not the priceless stones that the black-haired man had originally assumed them to be, but Regen, Barrier and Status Ward materia orbs meticulously anchored to the fabric.

"…Or a headpiece like this…" he said, pulling his hair back to reveal the Magic Barrier and Libra materia skillfully sewn into his circlet.

"Can you imagine what it would be like if this armor had fallen into their hands?" he asked. "Can you _understand?_ Do you see why I made such a choice?"

When he failed to get an immediate reply, he reached for a leather-bound book that he had brought with him, and flipped to a page that contained photographs of a poniard, a whip and a pair of jeweled brass knuckles.

Angeal blinked, wondering if these weapons also came from the cave.

"What are these?" he inquired.

"They are the weapons that I gave to Genesis when we returned from our adventure in the caves." the general quietly explained, and he turned the page to reveal even more photographs. "We divided what we had found amongst ourselves and I claimed the Genji headpiece, the armor and the belt, which Genesis dubbed the 'Genji Shield' because it contains powerful shielding materia."

"After I made my claims," he continued, "GR claimed the Ziedrich and the Heike Soul."

He pointed to the ornate looking poniard in the picture and then the whip.

"Oh, and he maimed the Genji glove," Sephiroth added in a highly critical tone of voice, "by removing the studs, snipping off the fingers and adding some Velcro."

He snorted with disgust as he remembered how his second in command had proudly shown him the damage that had been done to the priceless, one of a kind gauntlet.

"He modified it so that it could be worn under his dowel grips," he said with a shrug.

Angeal blinked. "I-I see," he murmured. "Why have I never seen the two of you fight with Genji armor on before? I assume that there is a reason that the two of you do not use what you have found when you are on assignment," he added, wondering whether Professor Hojo might have something to do with his two best friends' reluctance to use the gear and weapons. "Are you trying not to call the science department's attention to your finds?" he asked, gazing at Sephiroth quizzically as the general informed him that the science department was not a concern here. "Concerned about wear, tear and rust? Worried that the materia in the armor will degrade?"

 _No, I'm not worried about wear, tear and rust,_ Sephiroth thought, as the alarm began beeping to alert him that Genesis was standing outside the locked door and wanted access to the simulation chamber. _Damage is of no concern to me when GR has tried to scorch my armor with his Hell Firaga fireballs and failed to put a burn in it and I am not worried about the materia when the scientist who examined the armor concluded that it has been sitting in the cave for years and there has been no decay at all._

"The armor is simply too costumey for my tastes, uncomfortable to wear and it would be impractical to use when I am on assignment," Sephiroth abrasively said. "I see no reason to drag something so valuable around with me and it would be excessive to use against monsters who do not pose a threat to me!"

He smiled as Genesis entered and pulled back his coat to reveal that he had the Heike Soul fastened to his belt and the Ziedrich sheathed at his side.

"Now, SOLDIER 1st Class Genesis, on the other hand, is a different matter and I feel that I need to bring out my best equipment and my best materia for our match," he said, face darkening and eyes narrowing as Genesis took out a copy of _LOVELESS_. "I expect him to give me a rigorous fight that will be physically and mentally demanding, challenge me and…Angeal."

He turned to Angeal - silently pleading with the other man to snatch the book away, as Genesis lazily leaned against a simulated wall, made himself comfortable and began to read his favorite lines.

"It appears that we are attending a poetry recital instead," he dryly said.

" _LOVELESS, Act I,"_ Genesis purred. "I feel that it fits the occasion, because the goddess has bestowed her gift upon me and has chosen me to play the part of the hero in Wutai."

His blue eyes gleamed with cunning as an irate general began to practice a warm-up sequence in the middle of the floor.

"I want to thank her before we fight," he added in a passionate voice that masterfully concealed the fact that he wanted to drag things out for a few minutes so that he could assess the set-up and come up with a way to adapt to the lack of room, "and reading passages is how I intend to show my gratitude to her for what she has done for me. I'll read her Act I and the unwritten epilogue!"

He smirked with amusement as First Sergeant Hewley joined him against the wall and shot him a dirty look to let him know that he disapproved of the little game that he was playing with Sephiroth.

"Give me a moment to come up with some lines that will do _justice_ to her," he insincerely said, deciding that taking the time to compose his own version of the unknown act would be a great way of stalling. "And please do not rush me. I can't just think up something on the spur of the moment like this."

 _Oh…really?_ Sephiroth rolled his eyes at his second in command. _You have won poetry contests in the past for poems that you have come up with on the spot. I highly doubt that you have lost your skill now. It seems suspicious to me that you suddenly have forgotten how to compose poetry on the fly,_ he mused, while Genesis examined the giant steel construction beams stretching out above their heads, the turbines, the long catwalks and the sprinklers and began to concoct an evil scheme in his head.

Sephiroth turned around, wondering what Genesis was doing.

"What are you thinking about?" he demanded.

 _Oh nothing, just thinking that you have misjudged what I am capable of and how I like to fight,_ Genesis informed his opponent. _While it is true that I prefer to fight from a distance,_ _I am also quite capable of dishing out the hurt in closed quarters._

He gazed eagerly at the steel beams as he recalled how he had High Jumped up to the ceiling when he had been fighting the Cactuar simulation and filled the entire room with phantasmal swords, fireballs and razor sharp black feathers.

 _I think I have found a way to make this setup backfire on you,_ Commander Rhapsodos laughed to himself, his mind made up to use the same tactics that he had used to defeat _the little green terrors_ against Sephiroth. _It won't be easy, but I am sure that I can pull it off and ruin you..._

"Are you making any progress with that final verse?" the irritated general demanded, interrupting his thoughts. "Will we get to hear the lines that you composed for your goddess?"

Genesis smiled condescendingly as the impatient swordsman swung his sword and the famous Masamune blade whistled through the air.

"I am polishing up the lines that I have composed," the commander hemmed and hawed. "I have an idea of what I want to say, but it still feels to me like there is something missing, something essential."

He peered up at the simulated sprinkler system and laughed softly as he realized that Sephiroth would burn through a lot of his physical energy if he managed to locate the _real_ sprinkler system in all these pixels, set it off and drench the other man so that his robes encumbered him and his soggy mane weighed him down.

"I have not found what I am looking for yet to make the poem perfect," Genesis said, as his eyes met Angeal's and it struck him that a two against one warm-up match would be a wonderful way to wear Sephiroth down before the real fight began.

"What would you say to a low key warm-up match?" he proposed, right as the general was just about to give up hope that they would start sparring with each other anytime soon. "How about…you versus me and Angeal…hmmm? It would be fun!" He grabbed First Sergeant Hewley by the arm and started eagerly dragging his surprised friend away from the simulated railings that he had been leaning against. "It would get the adrenaline flowing!" He looked at Angeal pleadingly with big blue eyes as the black-haired man tried to slip away and insisted that a two against one match was out of the question, because it would not be fair to Sephiroth. "It would help me overcome my writer's block!" He thrust a practice sword into Angeal's hands as the taller man attempted to make a beeline for the doors that he had just come through. "And if you turned the challenge down it would be embarrassing!"

The sneaky commander dramatically gestured to the video cameras and the microphones.

"You would disappoint the board members and the department heads when they see this tape. They would be flabbergasted, wondering why you are afraid to take us on."

He tugged on the end of the 'Genji Shield' and the general's green eyes became slits as he started to play with the fringe of the priceless sash.

"They would look at you, see that you have the legendary Masamune sword and are decked out in Genji armor, and they would think that –"

"Genesis, that's _enough,"_ First Sergeant Hewley growled. "Two against one would be dishonorable."

He sighed as the general lowered his sword and assumed a defensive stance to show that he did not think that two against one was unfair and that he was _not_ going to back down from the challenge.

"You also have to consider that Sephiroth is going to be pushing himself fighting you," Angeal added, "and I am afraid that we would be overdoing it if he took on the both of us. It might cause him to re-injure his back."

First Sergeant Hewley's eyes filled with concern as Sephiroth grunted and his best friend shrugged at him, trying to downplay how much pain his back was causing him.

"Are you sure?" Angeal asked

"Yes, I'm sure that I want to go through with this," Sephiroth sharply said, as he stepped forward. "Don't worry about me – I'm fine. If I was not well, I would not do something like…"

Angeal's eyes widened as the general swung at him and he was forced to block a blow with his practice sword.

"…this!"

_Damn you, Sephiroth!_

"It is very dishonorable to attack a neutral civilian who wants to stay out of the fighting," the ruffled First Sergeant murmured, as Sephiroth came at him again and he had to lower his blade to prevent the unsharpened side of the Masamune from striking his knees, tripping him up and sending him sprawling. "Shame on you for resorting to such underhanded tactics!" He grit his teeth as the speedy general attacked him, this time coming at him with a high offensive slash, and he barely had time to flip his sword and hold it diagonally above his head to block the Masamune from striking him against the shoulders. "Shame on you for not giving proper warning!" He flinched as a blur of red flew passed him and Genesis kicked, attempting to knock Sephiroth down when the general's back was turned. "Shame on you for attacking someone when their back is turned!" He leaped backwards as Sephiroth spun around to deal with Genesis and the Masamune struck at them both, moving in a wide-sweeping circular. "And shame on you for egging him on and keeping the fight going," he murmured in dismay, as Sephiroth slashed at the handle of his beloved Buster Sword.

"What are you doing," he pretended to act horrified, accepting that there was no way to get out of this and that it would just be best if he played along and tried to make it fun for his two friends. "You know that this sword is not for fighting with! "

"Leave the Buster blade alone – it represents his family's dreams, pride and honor," Genesis gallantly stepped in, striking from the side as Angeal blocked Sephiroth's attack with the practice sword in his left hand and attempted to unsheathe the Buster Sword with his right hand. "If you touch it, you will have to answer to me!" he added, as he swung at Sephiroth with a sweeping high cut, aimed at the general's torso.

"Hmm, so you say!" Sephiroth confidently replied, as his weapon elegantly swept along the ground and it rapidly rose up, ascending in a graceful curving arc. "Unlike your repetitive, unimaginative poetry readings, this ought to be interesting." He quickly eased his grip on his weapon so that Masamune slipped through his gloved fingers.

The general laughed as he caught the sword and his fingers curled around the blade, instead of the hilt.

"Well, I'm hoping that it will be interesting," he added, as he feigned to attack, making like he was going to use the tip of his Masamune to press an offensive against Angeal, and then changed what he was doing mid-slash and swung his weapon backwards so that the hilt caught Rapier when it came at his flank. "I have high expectations that it will be interesting." He thrust downwards with Masamune, aiming for Genesis' kneecaps. "Don't let me down, GR," he said, as he whirled around, and saw that Angeal was struggling to open the compartment in the side of the Buster Sword and reaching for green and yellow materia that was spilling out all over the ground. "I'm counting on you and – YOU!"

Sephiroth glided over towards his black-haired friend and smiled coldly as Angeal made haste and popped three materia spheres into his short training sword.

"Might I ask what you are doing?" the skillful swordsman inquired, as he put up a Wall around himself to ward off Genesis, who was circling around him with Rapier lowered. "It looks to me like you are trying to swap out materia mid-fight and that is not very nice." He quickly brought his hand up to eye level and held it there, preparing to block, as Commander Rhapsodos High Jumped up the stairs, looking for a spot that he could use to summon elemental materia on peoples' heads. "You should give people the courtesy of letting them know that you are doing that," the general lightheartedly said, as Angeal slid the materia compartment shut, picked up his practice sword, raised the blade to chest level and then stood his ground, trying to gauge the distance between them. "Otherwise…"

His green eyes narrowed as Genesis' shadow spilled across the simulated rooftop, stretching out menacingly towards him.

"People will think you have no honor if you do not inform them you are swapping out materia," the injured general shakily said, as it struck him that he was going to be in for some serious pain when Angeal charged him on the floor and Genesis dropped down on him from up above, "and you wouldn't want to give them that impression, would you?"

No, Angeal shook his head - he most definitely did not want to give off that impression, and as he tried to think of a good comeback, he heard Genesis call down to him and say:

"I think we should teach Sephiroth a lesson, show him how to fight with honor!" The red laughed and held up the Heike Soul whip so that First Sergeant Hewley could see that he had it ready for battle. "What do you say, Angeal?"

"I think that is an excellent idea, Genesis," Angeal solemnly said, and he got ready to Jump into the air and bring his sword down upon the general. "Sephiroth could stand to take a refresher course!" He quickly looked up, saw that Genesis had turned his back on his opponents and was preparing to flip off the staircase, and felt moderate panic as he realized that their timing would have to be spot on…or they would go crashing into each other when they simultaneously attacked the general. "He has, after all, done several things that were not very honorable." He lowered his head and quickly looked away from the staircase, not wanting Sephiroth to attack him while he was distracted. "Let's do it."

"Are you ready?" GR asked, and he began to pump his arms in the air, swinging them around to ease his muscles.

"Yes, I think so," Angeal said. "Yes, I'm ready." He began to count silently as Sephiroth backed away towards the wall, trying to place himself in a position where he would be able to keep them both within line of sight. "You go first and then I will follow. I'll wait until you…"

 _You will run across the stairs,_ Sephiroth told himself, as he recognized what aerial maneuver Genesis was going to pull off by observing how his confidant arched his legs, bent his back and moved his arms.

… _Swing your right leg up as you kick off the floor and you throw your legs over your head…_

… _Rotate your body, twisting as you descend…_

… _And pray that you do not land on your elbows, your knees or your face as you "corkscrew" towards the ground,_ the general grimly mused, as Angeal backed against the simulated wall, preparing to use it as a springboard to launch himself towards the center of the "roof." _That would not be too good._

_~*************~_

The sound of counting caused him to pay attention and look up.

"Ten…nine…eight…seven…" Sephiroth saw Angeal murmur to himself.

 _Time for me to give them my best,_ the general vowed, and he cast about the room to determine where Genesis would be landing.

"Six…five…four…three…two…"

… _One…_ Sephiroth told himself, as Angeal charged and Genesis flipped towards him, attempting to slash him while airborne _…NOW!_ He quickly moved to the side and rotated about on his extended left leg, using it to support his twisting body.

He kicked out of the front sweep maneuver that he had used to side step their combined assault, raised his sword and slashed, slamming into Angeal with a forceful counterstrike that made his back throb and ache.

 _Let's show them that they cannot catch me off-guard,_ Sephiroth thought.

He held steady as Genesis' Rapier and Angeal's training sword clashed against his weapon and both men pushed, trying to use their combined weight to force him back and drive him off the roof towards the cannon area.

The general smiled through his pain, giving the impression that he was completely at ease as his blade began to flicker with an ethereal blue-light white and Angeal and Genesis looked at each other, realizing that he was preparing to send powerful Draw Slash waves their way.

"I thought this was a warm up match," Angeal dryly commented, "yet here _you_ are going full throttle with your strongest attacks like you want to kill us."

"Change that to _we,"_ the commander growled, as Sephiroth cast Wall and his whip bounced off the glass barrier that suddenly popped up in front of the general. "You're going full throttle also – it's not just him and – look out!"

He threw down his whip and sword, dropped to the ground and rolled to the side as the crystalline wall around Sephiroth cracked, crumbled and fell away and beams of blinding light came barreling towards them in rapid succession.

"Seph, you're ruthless," Angeal rasped, as a Draw Slash attack hit him and he was slammed hard against the steps that Genesis had been climbing on earlier. "That attack was just –"

"Just for practice," Sephiroth casually said, as he activated the Barrier and Magic Barrier materia in his armor. "Let me know when you the two of you are ready for me to take it to a new level you have not seen before."

 _A new level you have not seen before?_ Angeal gazed at the master swordsman with visible discomfort, not quite sure what to make of this comment. _What do you mean by that?_

He drew in his breath as he took in the sight of the general's powerful white hands, which suddenly seemed superhuman and unnatural to him as they closed around the heavy, seven foot long Masamune sword, and he found his heart was racing when shimmering white Blizzaga icicles materialized around Sephiroth without any effort on the man's part to summon elemental projectiles.

 _Could it be that…_ He shivered with wonder – not horror - as the general demonstrated a new sword technique.

 _Are you trying to say that after all these years when nothing happened and everyone thought you had reached your peak that you have made another breakthrough,_ the honorable man wondered, feeling the air slam tightly against his chest as the simulated brown-colored walls around them flickered agitatedly, the mechanical piping hummed fatalistically, the lights blinked, and Sephiroth opened his hand to reveal a sphere of energy that was hungrily sizzling and crackling.

"I see that you've developed at least one new sword technique," First Sergeant Hewley said, after Sephiroth canceled the attack, "and I don't recognize what you just casted. It looks like a fire materia spell to me, but I know that it is not and I don't think our master materia specialist knows either." He turned to Genesis, who was looking frustrated and bewildered by what they were seeing. "Perhaps you would care to tell us a bit about your new attacks and techniques before we resume sparring," he suggested, as Genesis casted Wall around them. "It would be an honorable thing to do."

Sephiroth's body language, however, indicated that the general did not feel like sharing his secrets with them.

"You seem to be casting a lot of defensive spells," Angeal murmured. "Do you think that the attacks that he is using will be rough?"

"Yes, I think that they will be rough," the redhead murmured, barely managing to conceal how unhappy he was about this unwelcome development. "Nothing that Sephiroth does can ever be taken lightly and if my hunch is correct, we may be in for trouble."

He reached out, grabbed First Sergeant by the arm and reeled his ally in, pulling him close.

"Angeal," the sickly commander said, in a hushed tone, as his sore legs quivered, his fingers felt rigid and numb, and the Nembutal that he had taken caused his ears to ring and his head to ache, "I think that I have seen that attack that he is charging up before. Do you remember when Tseng and some biologists went to the North to investigate the new wildlife that had been discovered?"

Angeal nodded to show that yes, he remembered the expedition quite well.

"And do you remember what they found?" Genesis asked, resting his heavy eyes as he thought of how everyone in the science department had gone wild when the Turks had returned and wheeled a big cage into the testing area. "How strong and powerful it was?" He dropped his voice even lower as Sephiroth started to saunter towards him, walking very slowly and deliberately, totally at ease. "How eager Professor Hojo was to test it out and see whether it would be tamable?" He quickly brought up his whip and Rapier as Sephiroth made like he was going to attack them and then turned away at the last moment. "And how everyone was saying that its strength exceeded ours and that we wouldn't be able to take it?"

 _Yes, I remember the dragon zombie and I am aware that it was a find that meant a lot to Shinra,_ Angeal silently told his friend. _I didn't get to see it when the Turks returned from the North, because I was on leave in Banora, but I followed the story in the news and saved the photographs._

His lips parted slightly and his brows furrowed as he began to see why Genesis wanted to remind him about the dragon zombie.

"Hojo demanded that we fight the monster…" First Sergeant Hewley murmured to himself "He said that he wanted to see if we could defeat it and told us that fighting it would be a learning experience if we used the Enemy Skill materia that he gave us." He placed a hand on his sword as the icicles began to drift towards them.

"I think that your suspicion is correct," he darkly said to Genesis, as he made the connection and realized that Sephiroth had been forced to use Hojo's materia to acquire one of the dragon zombie's abilities for the "good of science," "and I think that you are right about how rough this is going to get if he does anything with that."

"The dragon zombie used two attacks when I fought it," Genesis whispered, and he thrust out his jaw and made a fist to let the general know that they were not intimidated by him acting all mysterious with them. "They were bad, but…I was able to endure and get through them."

He cracked his knuckles in irritation as he realized that he was too tired to remember details that he was certain would come easily to him if he was alert and fresh.

"What can you tell me about the attacks?"

"Not as much as I would like to. I remember that one attack did non-elemental damage and the other attack did very severe magic damage," he hastily explained, "but I forget which of the attacks did what. The bloody little beast, you see, was attacking me so aggressively that I was not exactly able to take notes. It was hell."

"So what would you advise doing?" Angeal asked. "What's the best way to deal with him?"

Genesis' eyes flashed with cruel cunning as the commander remembered that one of the materia that Angeal had stuffed inside his practice sword was a new type of materia that allowed people to levitate for short periods of time.

"Use the prototype materia that the fusion scientist gave you to levitate the three of us over the water," the commander quickly said, "and then stay at maximum melee range so none of his attacks can reach you and disrupt you." He placed his hand on Angeal's arm and looked the man squarely in the eyes. "Keep us up here as long as possible - don't let us fall back to the ground," he said, "because being in the air limits the nasty attacks that he can use and the things that he can do with his sword and…don't worry about the fireballs I'm going to be throwing at him. They will hit him, but I won't let it get to the point where he gets hit and takes severe damage."

The commander smiled witheringly.

"Angeal," he sighed, "once this warm up routine is over, I need you to back off a bit – let this be mainly my fight. If I do not have some time where I duel Sephiroth one-on-one, then I won't – shit, he's started to teleport."

Genesis trailed off, too distracted by the teleporting that Sephiroth was doing to finish what he was saying. His clammy wrists quivered as he saw the speed with which the general traveled about the room, and when the general reappeared at the top of the stairs, the degrading commander found himself if it would be worth it to dangle from the beams later on and blast the world's finest 1st with his area effect materia. He growled softly with frustration, realizing that his original plan was probably going to be a no-go, when the performance that he was watching now was leading him to believe that Sephiroth would just teleport up to the beams to get at him, rather than go through the effort of High Jumping after him or shooting projectiles at him to knock him back down to the floor. Why, after all, he asked himself, as Angeal quietly activated the new levitate materia, would Sephiroth do something that would exhaust himself when he could achieve the same results with far less effort?

"I hate his teleporting," the sickly commander said, when Sephiroth teleported onto the cannon and stood there with the Masamune lowered, trying to goad them into attacking him first. "It is obnoxious."

He thrust his arm out to the right to shield Angeal from prying green eyes as the general sensed that they were up to something and playfully asked what little project they were preparing in the war room.

"I predict that the board will look at this tape, see that their hero is playing _keep away,_ rather than facing me head on, and wonder why he is too cowardly to face me face to face." He laughed as his comments got a reaction out of the general.

"Genesis," Angeal cautioned, "I would recommend that you stop taunting him or he will charge you."

He motioned to his sword to indicate that it would be a few more minutes before they started to see results from the levitation materia.

"Wait until I'm ready before you do anything to provoke him," he said, and felt very relieved when Genesis walked towards the cannon with Rapier lowered to show that the three of them were not yet ready to resume fighting.

"I am sorry this is taking so long," Genesis insincerely apologized. "We wanted to discuss some things and there is something that needs to be addressed before we resume warm-ups and then start dueling with materia. We need to talk about _this._ "

He swept his hand in the air to show that he was displeased with the way that the simulation chamber was set up.

"I like the location you chose," Genesis said, "but I absolutely _hate_ how closed-quarters everything is, because it makes the room dangerous for people when they have had their share of sword fighting for the day and just want to stand back, enjoy the rest of the match and not have to worry about being struck by lightning, hit with fireballs or have icicles fall on their head."

He peered over his shoulder at First Sergeant Hewley to indicate Angeal was going to be backing out once warm ups were over. He turned to Sephiroth and his voice was very serious and very grim.

"Before we continue, I would like to find a place where Angeal can safely observe the fight when you and I start sparring one on one. Once we've found a good spot, we can resume fighting. Until then…" The commander folded his arms as cold green eyes met his and the general gave him a look that said that he did not believe them and that he thought that this was an excuse to prolong the timeout that he had given them. "Fight's on hold," GR said.

 _Please buy it,_ the commander prayed. _Please don't…damn it._

Genesis felt a knot form in his stomach as the general pointed to the observatory platform high above.

"Standing on the observatory platform would solve the problem, I would think?" the silver-haired man said.

"Yes, it would solve the problem," Genesis irritably said, "but it is not the best place to stand if you want to see everything. The view is shit and –" He pointed to the video cameras that were mounted around the platform railings. "If he stands up there, he will be in the way of the cameras and all the audio equipment and there's crap in the air that he's allergic to," the commander said, "and that crap is going to make him sneeze and all the board members will hear will be the sound of him blowing his nose. Do you _really_ want President Shinra's team to listen to _that?_ Do you want to be remembered for showing them the worst video of the year?

 _No,_ Sephiroth conceded. _That would be a terrible video and everything I do needs to be perfect_.

_I cannot show anyone any weakness or I will destroy the image of strength and power that I have created and people will home in on that and try to take advantage of me._

Sephiroth turned away from his friends, gazing longingly at the simulated gull’s dive bombing the water, suddenly wishing that he could fly away from this insane-asylum, masquerading itself as a military base.

 _If you lose that image, Sephiroth,_ he thought, _you will be dead to the world. You will be nothing but a memory._

"Nnnnnhh," Sephiroth suddenly whispered, as his turbulent emotions caused the dark powers that he had been reincarnated with to flare up. He softly moaned, as he involuntarily called out to the wing that he did not remember that he possessed, and the wing responded to his desire to leave this place forever and attempted to manifest itself. "Grrr," he growled, as the appendage slammed against bone, brushed against sensitive nerves and beat against muscle, and he felt pain that was so excruciating that it took extreme self-control to maintain his composure and deceive his friends when his distress attracted their attention.

As Angeal worriedly turned to him, Sephiroth made certain to smile at his friends and tried to change the topic.

"I know a man who would be willing to help us out if we decide to see a play together," he said in an unconvincing, forced tone of voice. "He donates money to the theaters and they show their gratitude by giving him early access to tickets, choice seating and admitting him to special events that are not open to the general public. He has enjoyed benefits such as meeting the lead actor, attending lectures about the performance and dining with cast members."

He held his arms open invitingly, as he tried to entice his two skeptical friends to buy into the opportunity.

"General?" Angeal asked.

"I want you to know that he would be able to get us access for the revival of _LOVELESS,_ " Sephiroth strained, "and I would like to propose that we make plans to see the play during the weekend."

He concentrated, hoping that his determination and stubbornness would help him overcome the infuriating pain that he was experiencing.

"You see, I want to do something nice for Genesis," he said, feeling hope as his retracted wing responded to his will and the monstrous appendage ceased its twitching around and started to settle back down. "Celebrate him getting the mission by taking him out to see the play that he has beaten into our heads."

He grimaced as neither of his two friends seemed particularly enthused about his suggestion.

"If you do not want to see _LOVELESS,_ " Sephiroth quickly suggested, "we can go see another play?" He lowered his eyes as his First Sergeant came up to him and stood less than three feet away from him, scrutinizing him. "Perhaps you would prefer _The Tragic Love Story of Shiva and Ramuh?_ How about…"

~***************~

 _How about we talk about your health instead of the revival of_ LOVELESS _,_ First Sergeant Hewley thought with frustration. _Your physical and emotional well-being is more important to me than a trip to see a play._

 _Sephiroth,_ Angeal silently told the warrior, _can't you see how much GR and I care about you?_

 _No...You can't see how much we care about you, can you,_ Angeal mused, realizing that Sephiroth would never fully believe that his friends loved him, valued him and wanted to protect him, _because you have to deal with the President and his friends manipulating you..._

_...scientists reinforcing your belief that nobody cares about your well-being when they demand that you push yourself above and beyond your limits..._

_...and Professor Hojo telling you that you should not allow other people to be concerned about you, because it will make you look weak._

_I wish that I could show you how worried we are about your health,_ First Sergeant Hewley solemnly thought, _but I am not sure what the best way would be to go about it when you misread our body language - not realizing that frowning, worry in our eyes and touching shows that we are concerned about you, you keep trying to redirect the conversation so that we do not focus on your back injury and…_

 _I have misgivings about confronting you about your back injury when the microphones are picking up everything that we say,_ Angeal thought. _You requested that I do not discuss your health problems in public after I asked you about your back in Lazard's office and it would be a violation of your trust and your privacy if I raised the matter on the videotape. You need to be the one to bring up the subject matter first._

"Seph," Angeal said, deciding that it would be inexcusable not to say _something_ before they resumed fighting, "I noticed a moment ago that you looked very uncomfortable and I was wondering if…"

"An injury such as a herniated disc in my back that is causing me pain and discomfort?" the unhappy general snapped in a lethal tone.

 _And what if I would rather not talk about it,_ Sephiroth thought.

"I appreciate your concern," the tormented swordsman smoothly lied, "but I want to let you know that everything is fine." He glared at his two friends as he homed in on the training sword in Angeal's hand and realized that his sparring partners were planning on using levitation materia against him to hinder him and prevent him from fighting on solid ground. "Hojo examined me _four_ days ago and recommended that I resume my workouts," the general added, "and I have not had any problems."

"The only thing agitating my back is this uncomfortable Genji shoulder armor," Sephiroth said, "but since I am removing it now, there should not be any further problems and I should be able to finish without any strain. So!" He clapped his hands. "Let's continue with the warm up match?"

"Okay," Angeal reluctantly said, "we'll resume fighting, but if your back starts hurting you, I trust you to stop."

He frowned as he realized that there was something not quite right about the explanation that Sephiroth had given him, but decided to ignore it for now, because he felt bad that he had been questioning his best friend's judgment so much.

"Don't let your guard down," the powerful general said, and without warning he launched himself at Angeal, determined to prevent him from levitating him.

Sephiroth retreated to the center of the simulation chamber, bracing himself for his friends' attack as both men came after him. As Angeal prepared to swing at him, the great general thrust his weapon to the right, rather than forwards, to ward off Commander Rhapsodos, who had somehow managed to slip behind him and was coming at him from his blindside.

Genesis snarled, dismayed to find his beloved Rapier blocked by the legendary Masamune sword, and Sephiroth took advantage of the redhead's momentary confusion to dodge, strike at Hewley and punch his leather clad fist against the honorable man's blade. Angeal grit his teeth as the stainless steel plates sewn into the general's gloves made contact with the hilt of his sword and General Sephiroth slammed into him, using his great strength to push him back.

Angeal found himself gaping with amazed annoyance as Sephiroth managed to heft his sword over his shoulder while punching at him, flip it so that it swung horizontally to the side while pressed against his neck, and use it to jab at Genesis.

Sensing that Sephiroth was distracted, Angeal dropped to his knees to free himself and his sword – and as he did, Genesis charged across the cannon, jumped high over everybody's heads, and propelled himself forward, shooting towards the general with incredible speed.

"Genesis, what are you doing?"

Angeal recovered, quickly looked up and drew in his breath when he saw that his skillful redheaded companion was twisting about and rotating his body in a manner that it would make it very difficult for Sephiroth to defend against his aerial assault. He took in the sight of the glowing Rapier that his rapidly spinning friend was holding out, noticed that Sephiroth did not have his sword raised to block Genesis' spinning move, and found himself thinking that that this was going to end badly and that both of his friends were going to soon be in for a world of hurt when they collided with each other. He reached for the Curaga materia that he was certain that they were going to be needing and –

_Crash!_

Angeal quickly gripped his unwieldy training sword as the general activated the Wall materia in his leather wrist guards and Genesis slammed into a glass barrier. He assumed a defensive stance, thinking that the high intensity general was going to come after him when the painful collision caused Genesis to drop his Rapier and weapons– but to his surprise, Sephiroth decided to add insult to injury by hitting the winded man with sizzling blue blasts of Hell Thundaga electricity.

Offended that Sephiroth was not treating Genesis very fairly, Angeal called out to the ruthless silver-haired man, demanding to know why he was incapable of giving someone who had been knocked to the ground a chance to pull themselves to their feet and recover. "Where is your honor?" he raged, when Sephiroth bent over to pick up the Heike Soul and Ziedrich and claim them for himself for the rest of the match. "And what are you doing with his weapons?"

"Angeal," Angeal heard Genesis rasp, "save your breath. Don't waste your voice yelling at him about dreams, pride and honor."

The surprised 1st Class officer blinked, taken aback that his best friend seemed so calm and collected after Sephiroth had just kicked his ass all over the room.

"Don't worry if he takes my two weapons," the poetry-loving man added. "I'll make do. The loss of the beneficial materia that I put inside them hurts a lot though."

"You put healing materia inside your whip and poniard and not inside your Rapier?" Angeal was surprised that Genesis would make such an amateurish mistake.

 _No, I **never** said that I put healing materia inside my sub-weapons, _Genesis silently laughed. _All I did was imply that the materia I had placed inside them was beneficial **to me,** not that it would have a beneficial effect on a person if they used it. _

His eyes sparkled maliciously as his words made Sephiroth smile triumphantly and he realized that the general was thinking the same thing as First Sergeant Hewley.

 _I hope you try to use my "beneficial materia,"_ Genesis told his opponent. _You will be in for the surprise of your life when you find out that the materia that I placed inside my weapons are actually Poison and Drainga materia that I brought with me to wear you down over time should all else fail._

 _But for now, face me!_ he thought.

He lunged forward, slashing at Sephiroth's flank, and he laughed softly as Angeal came charging up from behind and kicked at the general's legs.

"Damn, missed!" the redhead growled as Sephiroth did a backwards sidekick to ward off Angeal and blocked his sword slash without the least bit of difficulty.

"And you missed again," Angeal said, as Genesis struck at the general with his booted feet, trying to use a roundhouse kick to disarm Sephiroth, and his opponent sidestepped him, using a front sweep maneuver to spin away from him.

"Attack him while he is close to the ground," Genesis called out to Angeal. "Nail him before he comes out of the sweep and stands back up!"

_Slam!_

Rapier and training sword struck at Sephiroth in unison, but the combined attack did not go as planned, for the general used his Masamune to block Genesis' blade and used the tiny Ziedrich to stab at Angeal's sword and knock it to the side.

As the two friends from Banora growled, wondering how Sephiroth had managed to equip the Ziedrich so quickly, the general rose to his feet and gathered the energy that had been forming around him. Sensing that they were bewildered and caught off-guard, Sephiroth concluded that now would be a good time to use his energy to perform his most-feared, most powerful move. Deciding that they needed to learn a thing or two about his speed and power, so that they would not underestimate him the next time that he looked like he was in a vulnerable position, he struck at them - left, right, right, left, right – and both friends found themselves blown backwards by his devastating Octaslash attack.

"Not a bad recovery," the general murmured, as Angeal landed on his feet and Genesis recovered in mid-air and elegantly kicked off the simulated walls. "I give it a five out of..."

He quickly pivoted about on his feet, turning around to meet Rapier as his words pissed off his hot-headed commander and Genesis came charging towards him, sword ablaze and burning brightly to show him that they meant business.

"Okay, perhaps a five out of ten is being generous," he sarcastically said, as Angeal used a Jump materia to launch himself at him and he was forced to simultaneously block Genesis' attack and put up a Wall over his head to protect himself from their combined attack. "I give it a three out of ten."

_Thud!_

Sephiroth looked up and saw Angeal bounce off the crystalline Wall that he had put up and lithely leap backwards.

_Crack!_

The general spun around, just in time to meet Genesis, who sliced at him, intent on pushing him to the edge of the cannon. Not wanting to find himself pushed off the side, he flipped his sword and flawlessly parried the aggressive, incoming attack.

"You are full of surprises," Sephiroth purred at Genesis, as Angeal retreated and prepared to send Blizzaga ice crystals his way. "You have pulled off some combinations that I did not expect."

The general laughed and calmly put up his hand to deflect the icicles as they materialized over his head.

"I never thought that I would see the day when Angeal would choose to use elemental materia over his trusty sword," he continued, as he cast a quick glance over his shoulder and noticed that Hewley was getting ready to cast Gil Toss.

"Or throw coins at me," Sephiroth added, and he cast Magic Barrier on himself, because he did not feel that he would be able to block the spell when the projectiles would be lobbed over his head and rain down on him from various directions. "Or use stun materia on me."

He smiled when Angeal held up what looked like a Stop materia to him, glad to see that his friend was trying something new instead of resorting to the physical attacks that he was _overly reliant_ on using.

"This match is truly interesting," he went on.

" _Less talk, more fight,"_ Genesis snapped, cutting off the general. "I didn't come here to listen to you ramble." He spun around on his booted foot so that he was facing away from his opponent. "Save the critiques for later when you don't have to worry about me kicking your ass all over the simulation room," he hissed, and he threw down his sword.

He thrust out his arms so that they extended away from him like wings and rocketed upwards.

"Meaningless threats," Sephiroth growled back in reply, sliding back to avoid Genesis, "and uncreative, predictable technique. You should know better than to use a butterfly kick maneuver with me!"

He slashed at his best friend as Genesis alighted, forcing the quick-tempered redhead to leap back.

"I've seen you use it so many times that I know when it's coming," Sephiroth snarled as Genesis decided to use a trick that he had learned from Cloud and drop to the floor, roll under his opponent's sword arm and try to kick and slash at their knees and ankles.

"Clever, but you're a bit too tall to pull off that move," the general sneered. He kicked back and Genesis found himself forced to roll away or risk getting black boots in the jaw. "I think…"

 _I think that we are starting to wear you down,_ Genesis thought, as he stood back up and noticed that Sephiroth was breathing raggedly, had a flustered face and white sickly circles around his eyes, and did not seem so fast on his feet, _and that's good – I need you to be tired._

He looked over his shoulder as the general slunk towards him and noticed that Angeal was once again attempting to activate the levitate materia.

 _Keep your eyes on me, focus on the nasty person who tried to trip you up and kick you,_ he commanded Sephiroth. _Don't look behind you._

He scowled as he slammed his boot down very loudly against the simulated cannon and the noise failed to get Sephiroth's attention.

 _There is nothing of interest to see back there._ He clenched his fists as the general's face lit up with curiosity.

 _There's just boring old Angeal who is going to go into dreams, pride and honor mode if you look at him, and you don't want that to – look at me, god damn you,_ he mentally sputtered, as Sephiroth asked Angeal in a very low, very dangerous voice, just what he thought he was doing.

"Keeping the promise that I made to GR when I gave him my word that I would find a way to activate the levitation materia sometime during the warm up," was First Sergeant Hewley's confident reply, and Genesis felt his heart quicken with anticipation and relief as he felt the powerful air currents that his best friend had created start to whip at his ankles, tug at the sleeves of his shirt, lash at his baggy black pants and cause his long red coat tails to crackle as they flapped about. "You did not think that I would forget my word of honor when we were sparring with each other and I was throwing coins at you, did you?" the moral man added, as the winds pulled Sephiroth's long mane back, the general's black robes surged around them, and the tiles of the cannon started to recede, shrinking away, as Genesis kicked off the ground and was born skyward.

"No, I know that you always keep your word," Sephiroth grumbled, as Angeal leaped into the air and he followed, seeing that he would have no choice but to make himself airborne, as well, if he wanted to continue fighting. "You have never broken a single promise in all the years that I have known you; have you ever thought about _not_ keeping your word?"

The shocked look on Angeal's face said that such a horrible thought had never crossed the honorable man's mind.

"I see," Sephiroth dryly said. "I am not surprised that you have never thought such things, but there is something that confuses me."

He held up his hand to shield his eyes as piercing white light from the simulated sun hit him in the face and made it very irritating for him to pursue Angeal.

"It does bewilder me that GR was able to talk you into using the levitation materia against me. I did not think that you would do something so underhanded as to bring prototype materia into the fight without clearing it with me first and making sure that I was agreeable to the idea."

The general suddenly lunged forward with his sword, sending five blue beams of blue light barreling Angeal's way, and grumbled in frustration when the dark-haired man pulled away from the currents that were pushing them up and dropped out of range of his attack.

"You would do well to follow your own advice about dreams, pride and honor," he said, in a voice that was annoyed, but free of resentment and malice as he released the spirit energy that was surging through his body and caused bursts of Tri-Thundaga electricity to rocket across the water towards his two conniving best friends. "You…grr!"

The general growled as Genesis swooped down, cast Magic Defense around himself and Angeal, and nullified his strongest electrical attack.

"Good interception," Sephiroth muttered, as Commander Rhapsodos put a Wall around Angeal, strengthened the Wall with Magic Barrier and made a comment about how it was _General vs. the Commander time now_. "Great defense." His eyes became slits as First Sergeant Hewley loaded up his Elemental Ward and Status Ward materia to further reinforce the shields that Genesis had placed about them. "And strong fire power too."

The general quickly activated the shielding materia built into his Genji armor as the quick-tempered commander decided that he was getting too close for comfort and warningly fired several Hell Firaga fireballs at him.

"You have become very strong, GR," Sephiroth quietly added, as a burning cinder struck his cheek when he sliced through the fireballs with his Masamune sword. "That was impressive."

"Please inform Sephiroth that the warm-up match is over and that you mean business now,'" he heard First Sergeant Hewley abruptly say, as Genesis sheathed Rapier and both of the scarlet clad 1st's open palms began to glow with white light. "Warn him so that he is not caught off-guard by your Hell Firaga."

Sephiroth's eyes became slits as Angeal's eyes filled with concern and his First Sergeant started to think about his back injury again.

"I am not saying that you should dumb down the match and use low-level Fire materia," Angeal continued, as Genesis fired off three more Hell Firaga fireballs and each of the big fireballs broke apart, splitting into five smaller fireballs that homed in on their target, "but I think that it would be a good thing to show some discretion and show some restraint." He frowned as he saw the ghoulish smile on his best friend's face as the fiery projectiles chased after the general and Sephiroth was forced to retreat. "Think about his health and bear in mind that just because he's on the mend, it does not mean that he is ready for this."

He winced as Genesis released four more fireballs and these rushed up to join the meteor storm of fireballs that Sephiroth was already busily cutting apart, dodging and blocking.

"That is not restraint!" Angeal disappointedly said, watching in dismay Commander Rhapsodos flew over his head, searching for a good spot to position himself so that he could cast Hell Blizzaga and harry his opponent with sharp little ice crystals. "That is going all out!" He grit his teeth as one of the fireballs met their mark and Sephiroth's hand fluttered up to touch a neck that was now bright red and stinging. "Back off a bit?"

Mako-tinted eyes widened with alarm as the Hell Firaga fireballs that had overshot Sephiroth ricocheted off the wall, turned around and came back, barreling towards the general's vulnerable back.

"You really need to back off a bit," First Sergeant Hewley reproachfully said, when Sephiroth was forced to fling himself to the side. "That was a bit much."

 _A bit much? I disagree,_ Genesis dismissively thought, while the general fixed excited green eyes on him, smirked at him mockingly, and called out to him to let him know that he was _'ready for more,' and I think Seph disagrees with you, as well._

Cobalt eyes narrowed as the swordsman pointed his heavy Masamune sword at him and glowing red Energy formed around the legendary blade.

 _If he agreed with you,_ Genesis thought, _he wouldn't be activating his strongest fire materia…shit!_

He swore as he saw that Sephiroth had casted the Shadow Flare attack that he had learned from the dragon zombie, and that the general was preparing to send the crackling black flames that were now billowing around his arms torpedoing towards them.

 _Damn you, Sephiroth,_ Genesis thought, wasting no time in reinforcing the Wall that he had placed around himself and Angeal as Sephiroth soared over them and attempted to drop his fiery projectiles directly upon them.

"Here comes hell," he murmured, and he quickly thrust his hands upward, sending Hell Thundaga electricity at his opponent.

Genesis sighed with relief as the lightning collided with the Shadow Flares that Sephiroth had released, pushed them back and caused them to explode against the wall away from them.

"Relentless aren't you," he whispered, as his superior officer brandished his Heike Soul whip and slashed at him, forcing him to descend to a lower altitude to avoid getting a whip burn.

"ANGEAL!" Genesis called out.

He slashed at the whip with his sword and managed to knock it away.

"Seph is trying to murder me and he is refusing to play nice," he grunted with displeasure as the general somersaulted through the air, easily avoiding the Hell Firaga fireballs that were chasing him around the room. "I think that he is in perfect health!"

He turned to look at his best friend and felt his blood boil when he saw that the distressed black-haired man did not appear to be listening to what he was saying.

"Look," the physically and emotionally spent commander irritably said, as Angeal geared up to chastise Sephiroth for _not taking it easy_ , "I understand that you are concerned about him, but –" He spun around, slicing through the sizzling Energy materia that Sephiroth had just thrown at him. "I would both appreciate it if you toned it down a bit and let him decide how aggressively he wants to fight and how far he wants to push himself."

He quickly activated the shielding materia built into his fingerless Genji glove and cast Curaga upon himself as sparks from the sliced up Energy materia flew up, striking him in the face.

"It's coming across like you don't trust him to demonstrate personal responsibility for himself and it also makes me feel like you don't trust me to know when to back off," he bluntly said, as he felt his burns start to heal, "and I don't like that."

"You also have to consider that Doctor Hojo gave him the go-ahead to resume training," Genesis added in a milder voice, now that he saw that his sharp words were getting through to Angeal and that his childhood friend was realizing that he was treating his two companions like irresponsible younger brothers, "and he has been practicing like this for four days now without problems."

He looked up at the general, who was contemplating whether he wanted to activate the "shielding" materia in the Heike Soul and Ziedrich.

"Four days without re-injury," he optimistically said, as Sephiroth realized that there was something "fishy" about the materia in the weapons and decided not to activate them after all, "makes me think that he is well on his way to recovery and that an intense fight today won't do him too much harm. I think that he is fine."

 _No, I think that something doesn't feel right to me,_ Angeal wanted to tell Genesis. _I feel so confused right now, because Seph told the two of us that he went in to see Doctor Hojo **four days ago,** and yet I am fairly certain that he told Director Lazard that he went to see Hojo more recently than that._

"Seph will be okay," Genesis cut in, interrupting Angeal's thoughts. "He has a clean bill of health from his doctor, don't forget that."

The auburn-haired man leaned in and lowered his voice so that the hovering general would not be able to hear what he said.

"I think Doctor Hojo is a fountain of shit," he said, "but I have faith that he won't make irresponsible diagnoses that will jeopardize his patient. Seph means too much to him and his…" He trailed off, unwilling to use words like _"research," "experimentation"_ and _"personal advancement"_ to describe the relationship that his best friend had with the twisted, unethical doctor.

"What I'm trying to say is, I _trust_ his doctor's assessment," Commander Rhapsodos said, "and you should also trust it."

 _Yes, I **want** to trust Seph on this, _ Angeal struggled with himself, as he watched Genesis go soaring upwards to engage the _friend_ whose word he had always taken for granted, _But…_

He shook his head and stared quietly at the training sword in his hand as he tried to replay how the meeting in the Director's office had taken place in his mind.

 _Things are not adding up,_ Angeal thought. He turned away from his dueling friends and remembered how Sephiroth had confidently told everyone in the room that he was _feeling much better_ and that Professor Hojo had felt that he had made a full recovery. _Something feels very wrong here._

The honorable First winced, feeling his temples throb, his heart rate speed up, and his cold cheeks heat up, as he _clearly_ recalled that Sephiroth had reassured the people in the room that the appointment had taken place _that very morning_. He rubbed his face unhappily, as he looked up at the sword fighting duo and things that he had not seen before when he had been sparring with them suddenly leaped out at him.

 _It appears that Seph lied to the two of us about being given a "clean bill of health,"_ the extremely disappointed 1st admitted to himself, as he saw that there was exhaustion in Sephiroth's eyes, that the general's arms were buckling, that the great warrior was having a difficult time parrying Genesis' sword swings and was doing a lot more blocking than attacking. _And lied about when he went in to see Professor Hojo as well,_ the disillusioned man sighed, thinking about how doubtful he had felt when his _friend_ had reassured him that he was not taking questionable hydrocone pain killers and that he had been looking up links to drug-related websites "for Hollander."

_And now I am starting to wonder if he lied about the hydrocone, lied about Genesis wanting Tseng to receive credit, and…_

_I don't know if I can trust him to be considerate of other people, respect their privacy or respect me,_ Angeal sorrowfully wondered, as this train of thinking reminded him that the general had dragged Genesis' rocky relationship with his father into the boardroom and told Lazard everything that he knew about it.

 _I want to say that – I don't know, I don't know what to think,_ the honorable man thought, recalling how Sephiroth had leaned over his kitchen table and used a manipulative tone of voice to tell him that Professor Hojo had taken advantage of the fact that he was sick to perform invasive procedures on him when he had gone in to seek treatment.

_This is such a mess._

_What should I do,_ he asked himself, as he re-focused on his two sparring friends.

First Sergeant Hewley sighed as he took in the sight of Sephiroth gracefully floating over the simulated ocean with a deceptively peaceful and relaxed look on his face _,_ listened to the general mock GR for not attacking him with his full strength, and saw that Commander Rhapsodos was getting worked up. Worried that Genesis would let his short-temper get the better of him and use his most powerful attacks, Angeal floated towards the two men, ready to intervene if they did not _cease this madness_. He started to open his mouth to say something – to inform Genesis that they had been intentionally misled and that Sephiroth was not as recovered as he would like for everyone to think he was, but he was stopped dead in his tracks by the sight of the black and white video cameras jutting out from the wall, the unlocked doors and moonlight spilling in through a window that they had forgotten to close.

As the jeers and taunts struck a sensitive cord and Commander Rhapsodos' face turned bright tomato red, Angeal struggled, not certain what he should do. His emotional heart screamed at him, telling him that he should break up the fight before things got out of hand and the general re-aggravated his back injury, while common sense argued that that would be a bad thing to do, because the microphones were picking up everything, Genesis would look like a bad person if the duel descended into finger pointing, nasty words and name-calling, and Sephiroth would react poorly if he did not wait until a better occasion arose to call his honesty into question.

 _I do not want my friends to feel like I hurt them on a professional level or on a personal level or created a situation where personal feelings could be hurt_ , First Sergeant Hewley told himself, realizing that volatile Genesis would flip out over being lied to and use strong, hurtful language against Sephiroth in the heat of his anger.

 _I will wait until after the duel to ask Seph why he has been lying to us,_ Angeal decided, _and when I do…_

He shook his head and smiled sadly as the image of strength, security and power that _The General_ fought with tooth and claw to preserve melted away before his eyes and he saw Sephiroth as the mistrustful, grudge-holding, emotionally unbalanced person that he truly was.

 _I will need to choose my words very carefully when I speak to Sephiroth so that he sees that I am trying to understand his motivations,_ First Sergeant Hewley thought, seeing that this was going to be a very difficult task, because the chronic lying made him feel that Seph had never fully trusted him and GR on a personal level to begin with.

~**************~

 _I'm not looking forward to confronting Seph,_ Angeal cringed, as the general laughed at Genesis and said, "Hit me with your strongest attacks. Blast me with your most powerful materia. Unleash the power of the Apocalypse upon me and do not worry about your attacks re-aggravating old injuries, because there is nothing to re-aggravate at this point."

"So you feel good enough to have me kick your ass from here to the other side of the continent?" First Sergeant Hewley heard Genesis reply in an eager, excited voice, and he found himself feeling even more uncomfortable as Sephiroth laughed and said that they needed to "take it to the next level."

"You have fought hard," the silver-haired swordsman conversationally said, "but you will need to fight even harder."

He glided over to a very upset Angeal and quickly snatched away the training sword that contained the prototype materia. And then he smiled contritely at Genesis as the commander bristled at the sight of him opening the materia slot in the training blade.

"You will need to give me 110%, instead of 100%, if you want defeat your enemy, receive the favor of the goddess and return to Shinra headquarters reborn as an epic hero," Sephiroth continued, ignoring the scowl on his friend's face as he hurled the levitation materia into the digital ocean, where it would be irretrievable until the fight was over. "You're close, but you are not quite there yet."

He started to say more to irritate Genesis, but he was stopped by the sight of badly concealed disappointment, disbelief and anger in Angeal's blue eyes – all of which he assumed stemmed from the fact that he had disarmed his opponent so easily.

 _I am sorry that I did not give you prior warning that I was going to take your sword,_ Sephiroth mentally apologized to his good friend on the descent back to the floor, _but I was getting very sick of flying over the ocean and we **did not** agree to use levitation materia beforehand when we were setting up. Had we discussed it in advance, then maybe it would have been permissible._

_And what may I ask are you doing?_

The general arched a silver eyebrow as Genesis cast a low-level Fire spell and four faint flames began to materialize around his best friend's hands.

"Are you using your materia to mimic fireworks?" Sephiroth asked with amusement, as Genesis released the weak fireballs and they floated across the water, where they fizzled and quickly died. "Trying to add a little flair and flavor to the simulation to celebrate being placed in charge of the Wutai mission?" He blinked perplexedly as Commander Rhapsodos casted a weak Thunder spell and fired it skyward. "Inquiring minds want to know what mischief you are getting into."

 _Inquiring minds will not find out until it is too late,_ Genesis thought, and he gazed up at the ceiling, trying to guess where the sprinklers were hidden behind all the pixels.

 _I suppose, though,_ he mused, while Sephiroth scrutinized him warningly and asked him if his questions were "making him uncomfortable," _That what I am doing can also double as me wanting to bring a "little flavor" and drama to the fight - not what I intended it to come across as, but Seph leaves me with no choice with all the meddling that he is doing._

 _I will not let him ruin this part of my plan,_ he vowed, frowning as the general sauntered over to where he was standing and looked up, curious to know why he was focusing on that _one particular spot_ in the ceiling. _It is too integral to my success,_ he thought, as he distractedly smoothed his bangs back with his hands and forced his cheeks to turn red.

"Allergic reaction?" Sephiroth asked in a cold tone of voice. "Exhaustion?"

"No," Genesis abruptly replied, as Sephiroth came up behind him and pressed the Masamune sword lightly against the back of his neck to show that he was getting very suspicious and thought that it would be best if they just resumed the duel, "I feel fine. I just –" He turned around slowly, making sure that he would not nick himself on the blade and gazed beyond Sephiroth at the control panel – humming and buzzing in the corner. "I can't believe that I was stupid and forgot about the controls," he said in a tone that oozed with sarcasm and bitter self-mockery, "when they have been standing here right before my very eyes in the middle of the room the entire time."

Blue eyes became slits as Sephiroth said, "Hmph, you are being silly. Did you dye your hair red to conceal the fact that you are a blond at heart?"

"No, I am not a blond," Genesis growled. He stalked over to the control panel and made a big show out of checking out buttons that did not interest him in the least bit. "I'm a natural redhead."

His smile became cruel as he looked at a blueprint of the simulation room that sat beside the control screen and saw that the locations of the sprinklers were very clearly marked on the piece of paper.

"I just want to have fireworks in the background to create a sense of drama during the fight," he petulantly said, using the obnoxious spoiled little rich boy voice that he had used in Costa del Sol to manipulate the situation, "but it seems that that is not going to be possible, because the controls are not working?" He peered up at his opponent with anticipation in his eyes, looking at him as though he expected him to fix the problem, and to his glee, Sephiroth threw up his arms in exasperation and headed over to the control panel, because it would be…

… _Better to attempt to fix the problem than to let him carry on like this for the rest of the fight,_ the spectacularly unimpressed general thought, as he bent over the screen and tried to see if there was a way to add firework effects when the simulation was locked down and no more changes could be made. _I am not in the mood to put up with him whining and I am sure that the people who will be seeing this tape will not want to have to deal with it either,_ he added.

"I will see if I can make the changes you want," Sephiroth flatly said, "but I am not sure that I will be able to implement them when the simulation is on lock down and I am not familiar with the settings for this model. I will need to check the manual."

He turned around to ask Angeal for assistance and noticed that Genesis looked extremely bored and that the redhead had resumed tossing fireballs around to pass the time.

"You remind me of someone Angeal wrote up for throwing pencils at the ceiling," Sephiroth dryly said. "Your bright red hair, you’re bored attitude and your fascination with throwing projectiles around the room is making me think of…?"

He paused, waiting to see if Genesis would make the connection and see who he was comparing him to, or realize that he was behaving in a very childish manner that did not become a 1st Class officer who was about to be deployed to Wutai, but to his dismay, his commander seemed more interested in fussing with the purple and yellow umbrella that Angeal had brought with him to the match.

"What are you doing with that?" Sephiroth wearily asked. He glared at Genesis as his commander undid the clasps, opened the umbrella and held it over his head over his head and smiled demonically at him. "Playing with the umbrella?" the general sneered with a roll of his eyes.

"No, I am performing a rain dance," Genesis smugly said, pointing to the low-level fireball that was slowly drifting up towards the simulated skyline, "and you will shortly find yourself soaked to the bone unless you seek shelter. You will be –"

 _Encumbered when all that water weighs down my robes!_ the general thought with alarm.

"Damn you, GR," Sephiroth raged.

He sighed, and Genesis remembered that electricity and water do not mix and pulled the power cord out of the wall. Simulated Junon faded away, and they were left standing in a plain old simulation room with white walls and bleachers.

 _It looks staying dry is not going to be possible,_ Sephiroth grimly thought, taking refuge beneath the observatory platform.

"GR," the general growled, as Genesis' actions set off a chain reaction and all the other sprinklers started to turn on one by one, "this was not what I meant when I told you that I hoped that you would fight creatively on the phone!" His eyes narrowed as Commander Rhapsodos retreated to the _one corner_ in the room that was _not_ within range of any of the sprinklers. "These are _not_ the kind of fighting tactics that Lazard and the board members will want to see," he added.

"I think that the advantage that you gain by flooding the room is minimal," the general coldly went on, "and what you have done may very well –"

"End up working against me?" the terminally ill 1st aggressively interrupted the general. "Perhaps it will end up working against me, perhaps it won't, and I disagree about the advantage being minimal, because!"

He moved his left hand around in slow, circular motions, as he started to create a cloud of Graviga energy that Sephiroth would not want to run into when he charged after him.

"Because?" Sephiroth demanded, trying to determine why Genesis was creating stationary clouds of dark energy and not sending them after him.

"Because the water pouring you down will encumber you and make you tired," the commander sweetly said, "and wearing you out has been my goal the entire time!"

He smiled unapologetically as Sephiroth stiffened, realizing that the warm up match and the fight in the air had also been part of his plan to run his opponent ragged.

 _So I see,_ Sephiroth dryly thought, wondering how he could have been so deceived when Genesis was always bragging about how he exhausted his opponents by outlasting them, then went in for the kill.

"Given how drained you look," Genesis taunted Sephiroth, as he gazed up at a wide, sturdy beam jutting out directly over his head, "I would say that my plan has been successful." He dramatically raised his arm as he activated the High Jump materia in his sword and prepared to rocket skywards. "And given how stunned you appear to be, I am going to assume that you are impressed with how I pulled the wool over your eyes?"

He laughed softly, confident that the hurricane that he planned on creating with his area effect attacks and materia would be so vicious and overwhelming that Sephiroth would be too busy dodging and blocking to be able to make fight at him.

"Speechless that I executed it so smoothly?"

 _Yes, I am speechless,_ Sephiroth dryly thought, _but it is not because I am "impressed" by how you plotted to pull this off._

He stared emotionlessly at his opponent as Genesis jettisoned up to the beam, grasped it with his left hand and pulled himself up.

 _What gets me,_ the general silently informed GR, _is that you think that the tactics that you used against the Cactuars will be effective against a person such as myself!_

 _I'll tear your beam in two with my Draw Slash attack,_ he vowed to his cocky friend, and with that he splashed out into the center of the simulation room and positioned himself so that he would easily be able to rip apart Genesis' perch with his blue energy rays. _I hope you are looking forward to having it collapse out from under you._

_~*************~_

"Stop – don't use Draw Slash," he heard someone warningly call out to him, and Sephiroth growled as First Sergeant Hewley appeared at the top of the observatory platform and reminded him that the beam that he was going for was built into the pipes and the elaborate ventilation system, and that tearing it apart would cause heavy things that should stay in place to collapse and to come crashing down upon their heads. "If you destroy the beams, you could get us all brained! Don't!"

"Don't worry, Angeal, I won't be the one who gets us sent to the science department for medical treatment," Sephiroth irritably said, and he reluctantly canceled the powerful long range sword attack that he had been firing up. "I'll refrain from casting Draw Slash and will find another way to knock GR off his beam." He rolled his eyes as Angeal cautioned him not to use his Thundaga materia either, because there was water everywhere and he did not want to see either of them end up getting electrocuted. "And I won't use any of my electrical materia to win this fight either."

He snarled as Genesis spun around on the narrow five-inch wide beam, without falling, and effortlessly slashed through the Hell Blizzaga icicles that materialized behind him.

"There are a million other ways that I can skin a cat," he called out to Angeal, as he slammed his Masamune against the sphere of Dark Energy that was barreling down upon him and sent it crashing towards the big window behind him.

 _Damn, that was **not** what I intended, _ the general cringed, watching with wide eyes as the impact caused the window to explode and shards of glass went flying across the room. _I hope the Turks are not on their way to investigate fireballs dropping on peoples' cars._

"What an amazing shot – it looks like you just struck a home run," an aristocratic voice jeered at him, interrupting his thoughts. "Would you like a little fire to go with that spectacular move, Seph?"

Sephiroth whirled around, saw five Hell Firaga fireballs headed his way and quickly raised his sword to defend himself against the brutal attack.

"Gahhh," the general groaned as one of the spheres made it passed his guard and the burning fireball ricocheted off his jaw and clipped his lower lip.

"Hhhhhh," he grimaced as he smacked his lips together and felt sharp, stinging pain around the area where the Hell Firaga fireball had burned his mouth raw.

"Here we go again," the hotheaded swordsman whispered to himself.

He looked up and saw that Genesis' hands were glowing and that the redhead was getting ready to bombard him again.

"What do you have in store for me this time, GR? More fireballs?" he said, quickly hurling a sphere of Energy at the redheaded warrior's chest, determined to break Genesis' concentration. "One of your darkness-based attacks?" He instantly followed up Energy with Hell Blizzaga, confident that GR would not be able to handle a steady stream of powerful homing projectiles headed his way. "Drainga?" Hell Firaga fireballs of his own were added to the mix. "Icicles?"

His eyes filled with triumph as the projectiles converged on Genesis and the exhausted commander lost his cool and made a sloppy, last second attempt to put up a Wall around himself and block the incoming attacks.

"Hmmm, I would like to see you try to throw projectiles at me now," the general murmured coolly, as the ball of Energy exploded and the impact achieved the desired effect that he wanted – knocking Genesis down from the beam and grounding him. "It is hard to cast Hell Firaga at me when you are being overwhelmed," he could not resist adding, as his best officer landed on his side in a puddle and was instantly doused with spray from the sprinkler that he landed under, "and I would also like to see how effective you are now that you are as wet and encumbered as I am." He held out his sword, keeping it lowered in case Genesis decided to pull something on him, and approached his fallen commander cautiously. "I am fairly certain that –"

"I am fairly certain that you are the reason why my parents never let me watch Saturday morning kids' TV shows," an extremely irritated Genesis rebutted, as he snatched up his sword and sprang to his feet, not the least bit discouraged that he had just been knocked off his beam and had a loop thrown into his plans. "Or Sunday ones."

He laughed melodically as he lunged at Sephiroth and Rapier and Masamune struck one other and locked together.

"They were afraid, you see," he said, lips curling up in a wicked smile as Sephiroth leaped away to break the sword lock and he slashed downwards to re-establish it, "that I would take after you."

He gasped, as a powerful counter slash from the general struck his sword arm with so much force that he lost his grip on his sword and almost dropped it.

"You have the tendency to repeat the cartoon villains' exaggerated threats, parrot their embarrassing one-liners and brag as shallowly as they do about your abilities," he suggested, as he recovered from the counterstrike and their swords slammed against each other so hard that bright yellow sparks from his now ignited Rapier shot up, glowing eerily in the shadows of the semi-dark room.

 _Are you going to share your plans for world domination with me?_ Genesis sarcastically wondered, as being compared to an unimaginative and unoriginal cookie-cutter villain had its desired effect and the physically spent general roared at him and struck, slashing at him with his sword and kicking at his kneecaps with his booted foot.

 _Is this when you tell me that I am finished and you are going to put an end to me?_ Genesis asked himself, as Sephiroth came charging after him with the Masamune lowered at an angle so that it would catch his legs and trip him up.

"Too slow," Commander Rhapsodos whispered, as he prepared to outmaneuver Sephiroth by charging at the wall, kicking off it and using it to back flip over the general's head.

"Too predictable," the silver-haired man murmured, as he saw what Genesis planned on doing and sent his opponent flying across the room with a devastating Octaslash attack as GR was mid-jump. "I've seen you use that move before during practice matches with the simulations."

Green eyes that had narrowed to very thin slits during all the taunting softened and Sephiroth laughed, as Genesis dropped his Rapier and ricocheted off one of the Graviga traps that he had set when a fight from the beam had seemed like it would be a good idea. As the trap exploded and Commander Rhapsodos was blown skyward again and brutally slammed against the wall near the window, the general padded quickly across the floor, eager to re-engage his opponent before a very stunned looking Genesis had the chance to recover and High Jump to safety or cast powerful spells. He smiled cruelly, triumphant as a demonic angel who has avenged his fall, as he towered over the battered man and lowered his Masamune sword so that the tip of his blade rested lightly against his opponent's throat. As angry blue eyes gazed up at him, he stared coldly into the face of his opponent, daring him to challenge him when it was clear to the world's finest swordsman that this fight was going to end the way that their fights always ended whenever they fought each other: score 175th win for Sephiroth, score 0 for Genesis.

"You appear to be cornered," the general said in a neutral voice that lacked mockery or glee, as Genesis propped himself up on his elbows and glared distastefully at the Masamune positioned right below his clavicle. "I do not see how you can possibly get away from me when you are lying on your backside, nor can I think of any moves that would turn the tide of battle when I have knocked away your sword and materia and taken away your weapons."

He raised the blade of his Masamune warningly as a frustrated Genesis reached out to push the blade away, thought better of it, and decided that it would be best not to do anything that would agitate his opponent.

"I would recommend that you surrender, in lieu of these dire circumstances that you find yourself in," Sephiroth suggested, as Genesis reached up to smooth back his tousled auburn hair and looked at him with exhausted blue eyes that were full of frustration that he had been so soundly defeated, disappointment that he had given it his all, but it had not been enough, and hope that the board members would not be put off by how the match had ended and send him to Wutai anyway. "Yield to me?"

~***************~

 _No, I will **not** yield to you, _Genesis thought. _If I say the words that you want me to say and surrender now, the biased board members and the department heads will react poorly. They will look at this tape, see that I still have enough energy to go a few more rounds with you, and assume that I gave up and they will demand that I be replaced as mission leader or insist that I be demoted to being the leader's behind the scenes tactician and assistant._

 _I cannot let that happen,_ he vowed, knowing that he would not be able to stand being anybody's assistant again after he had been offered the mission of his dreams and knowing that he would not be able to forgive himself if he headed home for the holidays and his father learned that had been given a prestigious assignment, but it had been revoked due to board members leaping to conclusions about his qualifications.

 _I'm sorry, Seph,_ Genesis decided, _but you leave me no choice._

 _I will try not to make the feathers too sharp when I cast Black Flurry,_ he promised the general, as he looked up at his friend and said: "Before you turn off the video cameras, would it be possible for you to film me making a dedication to my goddess?"

"Your goddess?" the general said.

"Yes, dedicating a few words to my goddess," Genesis stubbornly said. "I would like to share the lines that I composed for her with everyone before you are declared the winner, we retire for the night and the tape is shipped off to Director Lazard."

He smiled resignedly at the general and held out his hand in a friendly manner, hoping that these actions would deceive the silver-haired man into thinking that he gracefully accepted defeat and that he was ready to move on.

"She was by my side when you and I were fighting with each other, and I would feel wrong if I did not thank her or give her some recognition for all the times that she has watched over me, guided me and been a source of comfort to me."

He gazed pleadingly at Sephiroth and the reserved general found himself staring at Genesis with disgust, as he saw that it would be best to grant such an outrageous request, because there was a good chance that the more conservative board members would misconstrue what was going on and assume that he was trying to prevent a "religious man" from "expressing his faith." "Please listen?"

Sephiroth sighed, as he imagined devout board members coming down on him for his "insensitivity to the faithful."

"Go ahead and recite what you composed," the general slowly said, feeling uncomfortable as Genesis perked up and brightened as he gave his consent, "but if it is long, please only recite a few lines." He shuddered, as it occurred to him that a "few lines" could very well constitute a recitation of _LOVELESS_ , starting with Act I. "It is getting late and I have some paperwork that I need to complete before I fall asleep tonight and I am certain that you have a few tasks that you want to finish up also?" he asked, as his commander got down on his knees, closed his eyes, and began to murmur to himself. "We do not have time to film a ninety-minute long poetry recitation if that is what you have in mind." He arched a silver eyebrow as he realized that Genesis' right hand was moving around in circles and that the redhead appeared to be concentrating.

"Commander," Sephiroth demanded, suddenly having a very bad feeling about this, "what are you doing? Are you –"

His heartbeat quickened as twenty sharp looking black feathers materialized in the air around him and Genesis smiled at him triumphantly, preparing to attack him.

"I see," Sephiroth started to say, but the words never left his lips, for he looked up and saw that some of the fifteen-inch long feathers that GR had summoned were pointing towards a big glass window instead of towards him, Genesis was leaning against the glass, and his commander was not aware that the feathers were misdirected.

"Genesis," Sephiroth desperately said, as black feathers from Genesis' attack began to torpedo towards him, "I need you to back away from that window. You –" The general lunged as his commander refused to listen and continued to cast. "Genesis, I need you to stop your attack! Genesis –" Sephiroth cried out, blown back by the Wall that his commander erected around the area. "Don't –"

 _NO! NO! NO!_ Sephiroth's heart screamed, as misaimed black feathers went crashing through the window and Genesis was buried beneath a sea of glass.


	23. Trust Me

**Chapter Twenty-Three - Trust Me**

_Midgar - εуλ 0000_

_Heya, little chocobo head, what are you doing out here?_ SOLDIER 1st Class Fair wondered, mere moments later, as he stood on the balcony overlooking the indoor pavilion area where all the 2nds ate and noticed that his good friend, Cloud, was sitting at one of the tables. _Shouldn't you be studying?_ he mused, peering down at his spiky-haired friend, who was busy scraping off a metal gear that had accumulated crystalline deposits all over its body. _Or working on your assignments?_ _And how the hell can you be so fresh at this hour_ , he demanded to know.

 _Haven't your instructors been wearing you thin with all the tests and projects?_ he silently asked his friend as Cloud unfolded a huge drawing of an elaborate looking sword and began to take very thorough notes. _And hasn't Mr._ LOVELESS _been pushing you hard and causing you to burn the candle on both ends?_ he dryly thought, unaware that a terrible accident had just occurred downstairs and Sephiroth was spamming Full Cure materia on Genesis, trying to stop his bleeding. _I would've thought that you would be…_

_...never mind._

Zack blinked as a light bulb went off in his head and it occurred to him that he was wasting his time standing there, wondering why Cloud was so awake, when he could be sitting at the table keeping his Spiky company. His eyes lit up excitedly, as he realized that he had several funny orientation-week stories that he could not wait to tell the younger boy, and when the cadet turned around and failed to see him, Zackary raised his fingers to his mouth and blew as loudly as he could. He leaned precariously over the railing so that there would be no missing him, waved his arms in the air, and called out to his featherheaded friend, saying: "SOLDIER 1st Class Zack has entered the premises and requests that you report for duty for a very special mission. Please stay where you are and he'll be down in a jumping jack flash to give you your assignment. Do you have any questions?"

"No! No questions! And welcome back, Zack!"

The black-haired man's entire face lit up as Cloud smiled back at him, and he found himself laughing as his friend dragged an extra chair up to the table and mouthed the words, "Get down here NOW!"

"Right! You got it! On my way!" Zack started to shout, but the sharp cough that the bald Turk in the corner gave him to indicate his displeasure made him reconsider the wisdom of so jubilantly expressing his enthusiasm.

"Ehhh-heh-heh," SOLDIER 1st Class Fair stammered. "Sorry, Rude. I didn't mean to disrupt ya, and I want you to know that we'll keep the noise down, no problem. I'm just happy to see my friend, same way that you would be happy to see your good friend…ummm….hmmm."

"Point taken," Zack said. "You have good luck with your mission and I'll see you. 'Bye.” were his parting words to Rude.

~**********~

"Hey, Spike, how have you been?" Zack asked, once he was downstairs. "How was your day? Good, I hope?"

"I'm doing all right and my day was good," Cloud said with mock-exasperation in his voice. "I just finished checking online to see what scores I got on the weekly exams in my weapons, materia and battle strategy classes, and I didn't do too badly."

His cheeks turned rosy-pink as the black-haired man said something that sounded like "all right, way to go" and then demanded to know just _how well_ he had scored on the tests.

"I got decent marks," he hesitantly added. "Several numbers above passing."

He sighed and slipped free as Zack asked if "several numbers above passing" meant that he had "aced" the exams.

"The scores…weren't too shabby," he said with some caution, not liking that Zack was examining the diagram that he had drawn of his First Tsurugi sword and whistling appreciatively at how skillfully everything was drawn.

 _You have some mad drawing skills,_ Zack thought, impressed by the flawlessly scaled proportions, the brilliant use of shading and highlighting and how intricate all the details were. _The weapons department and the space departments missed out on one hell of a technical artist when you decided you wanted to be in SOLDIER. If you'd hooked up with them, you would've been right up there with the top architects and engineers they have drawing pictures for…oh wow._

"That is an _amazing_ sword that you've come up with for your class assignment," he excitedly said, "and it is so good, that I think that you should send this picture and your detailed explanation to the weapons department and see if they are looking for ideas and submissions."

He shrugged as Cloud quickly said that he was certain that the weapons department did not want to be bothered by students.

"I know it's a long shot, but it couldn't hurt to try, and maybe you'd inspire someone to make this sword and bring your creation to life?"

Cloud vigorously shook his head. "I appreciate the offer," he said, shuddering at the thought of his illustration ending up on the desks of people whom he did not trust, "but I'm going to have to decline, because I'm not really comfortable with the idea of having you pass around my drawing like that and I also don't want to go out of the way to call attention to myself when it will be bad enough as it is once people see the sword."

 _"Once people see the sword?"_ Zack was confused. "Are you saying that this sword is not something that you made up for class and that it is based off something that really exists?"

"Yeah, Zack, that's correct," Cloud said. "The sword in the picture's not something I drew for a class assignment. It's a broken sword that I'm trying to repair. It turned up rotting by the Church."

"The Church, eh?" Zack said, and Cloud quickly lowered his eyes, as he realized that he had said too much. "I think I know which building you are referring to…"

He scratched his chin as thinking about the Church made him think of bright, spunky eyes; lighthearted, airy laughter; and long brown hair tied back in a braid that he had glimpsed as he had passed through the Slums.

"That's the one run by the girl and her family, isn't it? Aeris Gainsborough?"

"Yeah, the Gainsboroughs," Cloud reluctantly said, feeling very uncomfortable using Aeris' name in the building when there were surveillance cameras monitoring their every word. "That's the name of the family."

 _Thanks, Cloud!_ Zack smiled at his friend, and turned his thoughts to tracking down the owner of the sword. _I can't believe I forgot something like that._

"If you like, Spiky," he offered, assuming that it was Cloud's intention to repair the broken sword and surprise the original owner with a blade that was good as new, "I can go down to the Church tomorrow for you, speak to the Gainsborough family and ask them for their help identifying the sword. They might be able to figure out who it belongs to. Does that sound like a good idea?"

 _No, it doesn't,_ Cloud flinched, and to his chagrin, Zack proposed another idea that was just as bad.

"If you don't like that idea," Zack said, sensing some discomfort on Cloud's part, "we don't have to talk to the Gainsboroughs. I could do some asking around in SOLDIER, check with General Sephiroth and see if the sword belongs to anyone in Shinra. Would that be better?"

 _No! No! No!_ Cloud shuddered, wanting to minimize the amount of time that the general spent looking at a sword that could trigger his suppressed memories. _Don't do that._

"Cloud?" Zack frowned. "Is something wrong? I..."

He sighed as he realized that he had misinterpreted his Spiky's intentions and that Cloud wanted to keep the sword for himself.

"Are...you unhappy because I'm suggesting that we can track down the owner?" he asked point blank.

He shook his head when Cloud failed to answer him.

"Ah...I see...but...Spike," Zack protested, "I understand how you feel about the sword - it looks like it's a _very nice_ weapon – but I don't agree with what you want to do with it. And I think that before you claim this sword as your own we should make an effort to track down the owner and thoroughly research the history of the weapon that you found."

 _Thoroughly research the history of the weapon?_ Cloud was incredulous. _Zack, are you serious about this or are you -_

 _It looks like you **are** serious about tracking down the owner,_ Cloud Strife cringed, _and that creates problems for me if you pursue this, because then I'll have to explain to you that I made the sword and how I acquired some of the priceless parts and that is going to lead to questions that are going to be very hard to answer without revealing the more sensitive details of my mission._

He lowered his eyes and he turned away from his friend, not wanting Zack to see that this mess was making him feel just as awkward and unhappy.

 _Please trust my judgment on this and please let this matter drop,_ he thought, as he said, "Zack, I don't think anyone but me wants this sword, because when I retrieved it from the alley it was broken and it looked like it had been dropped into a reactor with all the mako crystals it had all over it. It was one of the crappiest swords that I have ever seen and I am not sure that looking for the owner would be…productive."

He gazed at Zack anxiously, hoping that his best friend would decide that it would be a waste of time to investigate the origins of such a junk weapon, but to his dismay, the description that he had given made the 1st even more determined to uncover the mystery behind the sword.

"I hear you," Zack said, as he looked at his Spiky-haired friend and saw distant blue eyes that did not really appear to be acknowledging what he said, hunched over shoulders and furrowed brows, "but, Cloud, _listen…_. While I understand how you're approaching this – the fact remains that I have a _responsibility_ to SOLDIER to make sure that all weapons are properly accounted for and that weapons that should not be in circulation are not floating around. Therefore..."

He held out his hand and pointed to the drawing on the table.

"...I think it'd be best if you give me your picture, so I can hand it over to an officer for further IDing when...."

 _Cloud…_ Zack rolled his eyes as his friend shook his head.

"I am _serious_ about this," the 1st evenly said, doing his best not to let his Spiky see that he was beginning to feel frustrated with the way that this was being handled. "I _really do_ need to inform Angeal or General Sephiroth that you found this sword and bring the sword itself in for identification. If I do not, it would be a betrayal of trust, and I've already gotten in trouble with Sephiroth for…something stupid I did," he added. "Can you understand?"

 _Yes, Zack, I do understand,_ Cloud sighed, _I see exactly where you are coming from._

_And I don't like it, because you are forcing my hand._

~************~

"If the sword was a weapon that I randomly found in an alley," Cloud cautiously said, "I would give it to you to turn in, no problem, but…I'm afraid that's _not_ happening with this blade, Zack," he went on, "and this is why."

He reached into his backpack and handed his friend the paperwork that he had found stored inside his damaged First Sword when he had opened the storage compartments to clean out the crystalline deposits. He sat back down as the older boy took the weather-worn, water-stained documents and cautiously unfolded them.

"When you read what papers say, you'll understand," he added, hoping that Zack would accept their authenticity and not accuse him of forgery.

"What do you think?" he asked, deciding that if Zack handled the truth about his sword well and did not flip out on him, he would tell him more. "Do you...."

"I don't have an opinion yet, because this is very sudden." Zack quietly informed his friend.

He skimmed through the document that he had been handed and saw that it was a letter that discussed the elaborate looking sword from Cloud's picture. A frown crept across his face as he turned the page over and saw a photograph of a Turk inspecting First Tsurugi, back when it had been in tiptop condition.

"Please explain this to me, Cloud," he whispered, "so I can understand it. It says here that this sword was made and designed by you...but that's..."

He felt his lips part as he gazed at Reeve and Tseng's signatures at the bottom of the page.

 _I feel so confused right now,_ he thought.

"Cloud, are you saying that you came up with the idea for this sword?" he murmured, not sure what to think. "That you scrounged up all the parts?"

He ran his fingers absently through his hair, stunned that someone who was _only sixteen_ possessed such incredible technical and engineering skills.

"And that you put everything together piece by piece?" he asked, unfurling the picture that his friend had laid it out so that the impressive technical drawing and the photograph lay side by side.

"Yeah, Zack, I designed the sword, and I put it together myself," Cloud cautiously said, watching with baited breath as his best friend skimmed through the thorough notes that he had written along the side of the blueprint. "It was very time-consuming, was the hardest thing that I've ever made and it didn't turn out perfect, even with several people giving me advice and trying to help me with the harder parts," he hastily added, hoping that his words would humanize what he had done and make his achievement seem less incredible to the freaked out 1st, "and if you look at the picture I drew, you'll see that there are several big mistakes in the way I built it."

 _Mistakes? Where?_ Zack wondered, not seeing anything wrong with the picture. _This sword looks perfectly constructed to me_.

"I'm not seeing what you're seeing," he doubtfully said. "What do you mean?" he started to ask, but did not have the chance to voice this request, for Cloud wasted no time in telling him that he had had problems in the past because the materia compartment had not turned out the way he had envisioned it.

"The problem occurs when I try to put more than four materia orbs in the shell of the sword," Cloud explained. "The extra materia presses against the gears and the release mechanism locks up, making it impossible to dismantle the blade during a battle. It can be a real pain when that happens," he replied.

"Reeve suggested that if I modify the secondary compartment that I keep my paperwork in so that it will hold materia as well," he said, recalling how the head of the WRO had criticized him for not putting the smaller compartment to better use when he and Tseng had gotten together to take notes on the construction of his sword in Kalm. "I didn't agree with him when he proposed it, but I've had a change of heart about it."

"I've decided that after I take the exams," he conversationally continued, trying not to let on just how uncomfortable this situation with the paperwork was making him, "I want to drill into the two compartments so that they connect to each other and add some details so that the smaller of the two compartments becomes a full-time materia compartment. It would be a good idea, don't you think?"

 _Yeah, Spike, it's a good idea,_ Zack unhappily thought, _but an even better idea would be giving me a full explanation, cause what you're saying just isn't cutting it with me! Instead of giving me answers, you're telling me what you want to fix about your sword,_ the frustrated 1st sighed, _And you're also leaving it up to me to guess what's going on here._

 _Don't do this to me,_ Zack begged Cloud, as he said, "All these details are really interesting, but I'd be even more interested in knowing how you know Reeve and the Turk boss, and why they didn't confiscate your sword on sight. Company policy states that cadets are _not_ supposed to own weapons and I can't see either of those two going against it…especially not Reeve, who…who…"

"Reeve can be a hard ass," Cloud quickly said, "but he's also a fair person and he treated me well when he discovered that I was making this sword."

He smiled sadly as he thought of how Reeve had intervened on his behalf when an overly zealous Edge City cop had attempted to arrest him for brandishing his First Tsurugi in a public venue.

"Instead of busting me," he went on, "he gave me a chance to explain what I was doing and listened to me when I told him that I wanted to challenge myself with a difficult project and that I wasn't planning on doing anything bad or irresponsible with it."

"And that was fine with him?" Zack inquired in a stressed out voice.

"Yeah," Cloud told his friend, and he lowered his eyes as he said this, because Zack was assuming that the incident with Reeve had occurred shortly after he had enrolled in the Shinra academy…when in actuality it had taken place a few months after the Remnant affair in the present-day world that he had left behind. "He was fine with it…I guess he liked what I was making," he added with a shrug, as he resigned himself to the fact that it would be a very long time – most likely never – before he could tell Zackary he had been sent back in time to save the world from an avenging angel and his alien mother and _oh by the way, you kinda died and the Planet kinda decided to reincarnate you._

 _It remains yet to be seen, though, if I can trust you with other details,_ Cloud thought, even as he derided himself for being in the situation he was in.

"Pffft," the disgusted blond snorted in self-mockery, as he placed bets on how long it would take for the Turks to respond to the emergency call that his horrified friend would no doubt make if he started mouthing off about space aliens and time travel.

 _Pffft?_ Zack blinked, totally confused by Cloud's actions. _What the hell?_

"Laughing at myself for getting into this situation," Cloud vaguely said, as he realized that Zack was staring at him. "I just feel so weird about it all."

He reached across the table and began to pack up his tools.

"It's so surreal, you know?"

 _Yeah, sort of, kind of, I guess so,_ Zack sighed to himself, as he leaped to the wrong conclusions about the situation that Cloud was in. _It's just extremely hard for me to imagine a person like Reeve letting you off the hook, because he saw your sword as an art project and "liked what you were making," but weird things happen, I suppose. I mean…_

The newly promoted 1st rolled his eyes as he remembered that Angeal had told him that he had caught Reeve working on a robotic cat and that the cat was programmed to "run errands."

 _I guess anything is possible if you're dealing with a guy who makes walking, talking robo-kitties,_ Zack mentally shrugged, and decided to give his chocobo-headed buddy the benefit of the doubt, even though the blonds’ explanation did not feel quite right to him.

"Okay, Cloud," SOLDIER 1st Class Fair said, "you've told me about Reeve, but what's the deal with Tseng? How does he fit into all this?"

 _He was there with Reeve when we went down to the station to retrieve First Tsurugi from the cop,_ Cloud mused, recalling how Tseng had reassured the policeman that he was a responsible citizen and had authorization from Rufus Shinra to go about armed in public. _He helped me out a lot,_ he thought, as he turned to Zack and quietly said, "Reeve had Turk company with him when the big fuss over my sword occurred and I think Tseng decided not to confiscate my blade or ream me out because Mr. Tuesti didn't care; I'm honestly not sure – Tseng can be a little hard for me to read."

 _A "little hard?"_ Zack rolled his eyes at the _understatement_. _Tseng is harder than Sephiroth to read,_ he sputtered, as he said, "I would like to know you found your sword in the dumpster; I thought you told me you made it?"

 _Yes, I made my sword,_ Cloud wearily informed his friend. _But then I climbed up a cliff to deal with a homeless man…and while I was confronting him about sending his mail to angry old women, my sword grew legs and ran away._

He sighed as he realized that it would be impossible to explain the inconsistencies in this part of his story without telling the 1st a tale that was chock full of lies, and lying was something that he wanted to avoid doing, because revealing that he had lied, if he chose to reveal the more sensitive details of his mission to his friend, would devastate Zack.

 _My sword decided that it wanted to take a vacation at a beach resort, so it plunged into the Lifestream for a swim, and after it was done for the day, it checked into Hotel Aeris,_ the frustrated warrior humorlessly thought, pulling out the images that he drew to ease his mind when the difficulty of his mission drove him crazy. He flipped to a picture of the last living Cetra tending the flowers in her garden and turned to Zack.

 _How's that for an explanation, Zack,_ the cadet mocked himself.

Zack came up behind him. "What's that?" his friend asked.

"A sketch that I did of the girl who went out of her way to locate me after she spotted my weapon falling apart in her dumpster," Cloud said. "Thanks to her, my First Tsurugi sword is not rotting in the city dump and –"

He reached up and seized his friend's right hand excitedly, suddenly knowing how he could explain what had happened without betraying the other man's trust.

"Zack," he said, relieved that he was spared having to be dishonest with his friend, "I am so glad that she found my sword, because I didn't think that I would get it back when I realized that it had gone missing."

 _Gone missing on you?_ Zack wondered.

"Yeah, it went missing, because I made a very stupid mistake that I have no intentions of repeating," Cloud said. "I was careless and left my sword sitting in a driveway when I went to sort out a mail mix up that this man was having, and while he was being difficult and we were trying to figure things out, someone who needs to learn to respect other peoples' property thought that it would be a wonderful idea for them to make off with my weapon and be irresponsible with it."

He held up a crystallized gear from his First Sword for SOLDIER 1st Class Fair to examine and the officer arched his eyebrows and made a disgusted face when he saw how badly damaged the part was.

"And as you can see," Cloud added, as Zack bought the story, slammed his fist against the table and demanded to know who the hell had wrecked such a valuable sword, "they were very successful in giving my weapon a mako bath."

He shrugged as a livid Zack asked him if he had gone to the police to report the damage and report the theft.

"A police report?" Cloud said. "I didn't put one in, because I honestly thought my sword was lost for good and it just seemed like it would be a waste of time to bother them with something like that and…as for my plans for First Tsurugi…"

He lowered his head and stared at the floor, not wanting to see the disappointment and the frustration that he was certain would appear in Zack's eyes when he told the other boy that Genesis had promised to show him high-level kata sequences that he could do with his heavy sword and that they were supposed to train together tomorrow.

"Well, I plan on –"

"You plan on showing your sword to Commander Rhapsodos and asking him to give you a critique after he watches you fighting with it," Zack finished for him. "Angeal told me that the two of you have been training together, so I assume you would want him to help you with your sword? Did I guess right?"

 _Yeah, Zack, you guessed right,_ Cloud thought, _and I wish you would tell me what you were thinking and feeling._

"Are you upset about my plans?" he asked point blank, and the tiny nod that Zack gave him confirmed his fear that his friend did not like this turn of events.

 _I'm sorry, Zack,_ Cloud apologized, regretting that he had started to answer the question when Zack had made it clear to him the day that they had gone up to Sephiroth's office that he did not trust Genesis. _Let's change the subject and talk about the training you just completed instead?_

"I'd like to hear about the missions you went on," Cloud Strife started to tell the other boy, but the words never left his lips, for Zack surprised him by placing a key in the palm of his open hand, closing his fingers firmly around it and saying, "Take this, I want you to have it."

 _Zack,_ Cloud thought with astonishment, gazing at the key that his friend had given him. _I don't understand – why are you giving me this?_

He blinked as Zack leaned back in his chair and stretched out, giving the impression that he was perfectly at ease when Cloud knew that in actuality he was not.

"I…appreciate this, thanks," he said, "but I admit I'm a bit confused as to why you're giving me this key? What do you want me to do with it?"

Zack shrugged, in response, and he gave Cloud a half-smile. "I want you to store your sword in my apartment so that you don't get in trouble for possessing a weapon that you're not supposed to have," the black-haired man said with a stiff, forced voice, as he accepted the fact that Genesis had been instructing his Spiky while he had been away. "And I want you to know that you are welcome to let yourself inside to take your sword out for practice or work on it, regardless of I'm there or not," he sadly added, knowing that the lessons were going to continue, even though he was back now and was itching to show Cloud everything that _he_ had learned about fighting with heavy weapons, "because I trust you not to do bad things to my place like…well."

He laughed awkwardly, as he pictured down-to-earth Cloud bringing booze, loud music and girls over for a good time at his apartment.

"Just don't do the kinds of things that Kevin and Reno do when they throw parties during the weekend," he said in a more relaxed and lighthearted tone, "or you'll have to deal with Mad Zack and Mad Zack isn't a very fun person to be around."

"Yeah, I hear that he's a real monster," Cloud quietly murmured. "I wouldn't want to be around him and you know...I was thinking it would be fun for us to practice together sometime later this week," he guardedly said, "and…if you aren't too busy with work, I'd appreciate it if you could give me a few pointers and critique how I fight with my First Tsurugi sword; what do you say?"

 _Shit!_ Cloud mentally swore as his proposal caused Zack to stiffen, and when the 1st pulled back from him and fixed distressed, icy blue eyes upon the TV mounted on the far side of the room, the blond felt like kicking himself in the head. As an annoying reporter appeared on the screen and began to babble about little Rufus Shinra giving an inspirational speech at some sort of charity event, the young warrior sighed and stared at his achy, water-soaked hands, and attempted to view the unpleasant situation through the other man's eyes. Disheartened that he had made his buddy feel so uncomfortable that he would turn away from him, Cloud Strife asked himself how he would feel if he had a friend come to him for help after said friend had just admitted that they had been training with a person whom he was not too fond of, and it did not take long for him to see that Zack was upset, because the older boy felt like he would be setting himself up for conflict with Genesis if they were both competing with each other to teach the same student.

 _God damn it,_ Cloud thought, as he realized what the cause of Zack's discomfort was. _It wasn't my intention to make you feel like I was creating a staging ground for the drama of the year._

_All I wanted to do was to give you an opportunity to be involved in my training, because…_

"...It would mean a lot to me to train alongside my best friend," he said, voicing what he was feeling as the nightly news came to an end and the station began to air a documentary about Professor Hojo and the science department, "but if you don't want to, because you're busy or you don't like the idea of getting involved when I've been working with Genesis, I can understand, no problem…and if what I suggested made you uncomfortable, I'm sorry about it."

He lowered his eyes, finding it difficult to look at Zack, because his friend appeared to be more interested in what slimy Dr. Hojo was saying than his attempt to apologize for misusing his words.

"I mean, Zack – it was inconsiderate of me to suggest something that has the potential to make him to feel like you're undermining his coaching," he added. "Especially since you made it clear to me that you're on bad on terms with him already and that he has hurt you on a personal level."

 _He has?_ SOLDIER 1st Class Fair wondered. _Since when?_

 _He has never been in a position where he could betray me on personal level,_ the unhappy 1st mused, _because I have always kept my distance from him, but it **does** worry me that he is going to do something to hurt you and…_

 _I'm afraid that spending so much time with him has started to change who you are,_ Zack miserably thought, as he realized that Cloud was double-checking everything that he said before the words left his mouth, scrutinizing his body language and paying close attention to his tone of voice. _There have been several moments tonight when you've acted so differently, I've thought that you were high and it is freaking me out that you are bringing this new overly cautious, let's analyze everyone and play it safe persona that I believe you use around him into **our** friendship, because it makes me feel like I have betrayed your trust and you're keeping me at a distance._

_It flat out sucks that he's done this to you and –_

_Damn it, Cloud, are you ok?_

Zack cringed as he turned around and saw resignation and pain in Cloud's eyes, and as his Spiky murmured, "Never mind!" SOLDIER 1st Class Fair felt like throttling Genesis for putting so much pressure on his friend that he was starting to turn into an overly-analytical and mistrustful person.

"Cloud," the black-haired man softly said, "I think you misunderstood what I said about Genesis hurting me in the past, and I want you to know that he has never hurt me on a personal level and all the shit that he's given me has been purely professional. What does bug me, however, is that you are treating people the way he treats people."

 _What do you mean?_ Cloud's eyes narrowed, but not because the things that Zack was saying were honest and hurtful.

"Explain," the warrior neutrally said. "What are you trying to say?"

Zack groaned, mistaking Cloud's neutral tone as defensiveness. "What I'm trying to tell you," he unhappily said, "is that you've started doing what he does, and are thinking twice before you say things and are over-analyzing people and that kills me, because it's not the person I left behind when I got shipped out. I feel like he's manipulating you," he continued, "by trying to make you so stressed that you'll adopt his outlook of think twice, proceed with caution as a means of coping with 'im."

He lowered his eyes as his friend's lips parted.

"I'm sorry," he said in a flustered voice. "I know that this isn't pleasant to hear, but I thought that I should tell you, because I hate to see other people be manipulated, especially when…this isn't the kind of manipulation or nastiness that's easy to spot, and what I mean by that is…."

Zack sighed, recalling how a co-worker had told him that they despised SOLDIER 1st Class Genesis, because "good old GR" had caused their fiancée to become so emotionally confused inside with his missed messages and mind games that she had gone in to see a therapist and ultimately ended up requesting a job transfer.

"What I'm trying to say," he said, "is that it can be hard for people to see what Genesis is really like, because he can come across as a very charming and nice person and is not always directly nasty or in your face; he's just as good at being passive aggressive and really subtle if you know what I mean?"

The grim expression on Cloud's face indicated that _yes,_ he knew what Zack meant.

"Another thing to consider is that...Genesis might not be able to see that he's treating you so manipulatively," SOLDIER 1st Class Fair murmured, intentionally toning down what he was saying as it occurred to him that he was dragging Sephiroth's confidant over the coals without giving the man the benefit of the doubt . "Some people are like that and do not know that they are being insensitive to others, because they're socially clueless, and other times you run into someone who thinks that being manipulative to someone will help the person who is on the receiving end become stronger and – _urgh, just urgh!"_

"Urgh?" Cloud asked.

 _Yeah, urgh,_ an emotionally drained Zack thought, realizing that the commander was attempting to recreate Cloud in his image through manipulating his behavior, _I'm not a happy camper right now. You see, Spiky..._

 _I'm **ticked** that they shipped me out for some lame-ass orientation training when I could have been here for you, _ the 1st lamented, knowing that if he had stuck around he would have been able to convince the Director to let him train Cloud, because Mr. Lazard had hinted to him that he was "just the kind of person we need to mentor some of the younger SOLDIERs."

 _I'm **pissed** that your redheaded friend feels the need to turn you into some kind of "clone," _he thought with a shiver, _and…I'm **frustrated** that I can't go storming up to my boss' office, make a complaint, and trust the general to tell Mr. _LOVELESS _to cut this "clone" shit out,_ Zack mentally sighed, seeing now that one of Sephiroth's major flaws as a human being was that he was unable to acknowledge how unstable Genesis' behavior was. _If it was anyone doing it, he would be all over them for it, but because it's his friend doing it, he just….whatever._

 _You may not be able to count on Sephiroth, but you sure as hell can count on me to be here for you,_ SOLDIER 1st Class Fair determinedly thought, as he turned to his friend and said, "I'm sorry if I'm coming across as a downer to be around, but I felt that I needed to say those things, because Genesis has hurt a lot of people in the past, and I was worried that he was taking advantage of how trusting you are and blindsiding you."

 _WOAH!_ SOLDIER 1st Class Fair blinked as Cloud thrust out his jaw.

"Hey, I'm not trying to say you are naïve and impressionable, Spike," Zack quickly apologized. "All I'm trying to say is that you're a trusting person and…I know that you're not a blind person, but sometimes even the best of us can be fooled, especially if the people we're dealing with are master manipulators like Mr. _LOVELESS_."

"Genesis is a very clever and very subtle person," Zack solemnly said. "He's good at tricking people into giving him what he wants, and even the general has been fooled by him in the past;" Angeal's protégée added, as Cloud debated what course of action he wanted to take, now that Genesis had made him question what he was doing.

 _I had hoped that while I prepared for the entrance exams I'd be able to help Sephiroth and his friends mend their broken relationships,_ Cloud told himself, _but I see now that this plan will not work, because this bad experience with Genesis has made me realize that I'm not going to be very effective helping others work through their problems if I'm misjudging how mistrusting and manipulative these people truly are._

_What I should do instead is try a more direct approach - and that is going to require assistance from friends, like **you.**_

_Zack, I'm gonna need your help,_ Cloud thought.

He gazed at SOLDIER 1st Class Fair guardedly, and once again asked himself whether he could trust his companion with the most sensitive details of his mission.

 _You once told me that you'd be there for me, no matter how much trouble I found myself in,_ the young warrior silently reminded Zack, _and I'm hoping that you meant what you said, because the situation that I've gotten myself into is a real trip. Mad scientists, evil alien life forms and best friends manipulating each other guarantee that this is not going to be a pleasant experience, and that this isn't gonna be a vacation to Costal del Sol,_ he added.

 _You don't appear to be too upset,_ Cloud thought, as his eyes skimmed over the other man and he found nothing in Zack's body language that made him have second thoughts about going through with this, _and that's good, because I need you to be level-headed and calm when I give you something to read that is going to be very disturbing, difficult to wrap your head around...and is bound to make you mad and feel protective of Angeal,_ he winced.

"Sorry," Cloud apologized, realizing that he had been overanalyzing things again, "I didn't mean to zone out like that when you were telling me about your training; go on?"

 _Not until I get you to lighten up,_ Zack rolled his eyes, and decided that the best way to treat Overly Analytical Cloud would be to inject some humor into the situation and goof off with his friend. _Give me a big, bright smile, laugh at my jokes, and quit looking at me like you think I'm gonna go upstairs and punch your instructor's lights out, because doing something that lame hadn't even crossed my mind._

 _I might not like how Genesis treats other people,_ SOLDIER 1st Class Fair promised himself, _but I'm not going to retaliate and try to give him a taste of his own medicine. If he does something that I dislike,_ he decided, _I'll complain to Angeal, go about my business and try to treat Genesis with professionalism whenever we run into each other at work._

 _I'd probably even help him if he had some work-related crisis,_ he shrugged. _I wouldn't like doing it, but..._

 _I've changed since I tried to climb through the window to ream Genesis out,_ Zack thought, as he realized that being sent off for training with Corporal Jenkins had taught him that sometimes you need to do things for people whom you dislike if helping them will help everyone else achieve an even greater good. _I've wisened up and I think that I finally see what Angeal was getting at all those times that he was beating me over the head with his dreams, pride, discipline and honor speech._

 _I understand now what it takes to be a good SOLDIER,_ the 1st mused, as Cloud wrapped one of the bandannas that Genesis had given him around his head to protect himself from any additional hair-petting and said, "Cut it out. I need to meet someone important before I go to bed for the night."

_Meet someone important?_

_That_ got Zack's attention.

"Hey, Cloud, WAY TO GO! Congratulations!!" SOLDIER 1st Class Fair winked at Cloud. "I'm happy for you and when we see each other tomorrow, you'll have to tell me how it went; let me know if the two of you had a _really_ good time together."

 _Shit._ Zack felt the blood rush to his temples as a light bulb went off in his head and he realized that what he had just asked sounded extremely rude and extremely smutty.

"Sorry," the older boy apologized. "I didn't mean to make it sound like you were trying to score a home run with her and...gahhhh."

He cringed as Rude appeared on the balcony, glared at him with angry eyes and pointed in an overly dramatic manner to the cell in his hands to indicate that he was on the phone.

"It wasn't my intention to say something so lame in front of the Turks either or interrupt them," the 1st sheepishly added, "and I have a feeling that when word of this gets back to Tseng, he's gonna be a lot harsher with me than he was with you when you showed him that fancy sword, but whatever; I'll deal with that when the time comes and in the meantime..."

He gave Cloud the thumbs up sign as a big, goofy grin spread across his face.

"Congratulations," Zack said. "What's her name?"

"Elmyra," was the blonds’ reply, "and she's not my girlfriend."

 _Not. Your. Girlfriend. What. The. Hell._ Zack blinked.

"You mean, I was mistaken," the 1st said, in a disappointed voice, "and you're not seeing anyone?"

"No, I'm not seeing anyone," Cloud firmly said, "and if I was looking for a girl, I would not be looking at Elmyra, because she is a _few_ years older than me."

He laughed nervously as he realized that that was a gross understatement and that there was a good eleven - no, make that twenty, since he was a teenager again - year age difference between himself and Aeris' mother.

"Unlike Reno," he said, "I prefer to date women who are my own age."

 _Ditto,_ SOLDIER 1st Class Fair agreed.

He pointed to an envelope that Cloud was holding in his hand and asked, "Evaluations?"

 _No - not evaluations,_ Cloud shook his head, and he grimly held out the envelope to Zack, inviting the other boy to take it. _I got my assessments yesterday. That envelope..._

"That envelope contains documents that I would like you to take a look at, " the young swordsman said with a sigh, realizing that it would take Zack several hours to read everything, and that he would have to wait until tomorrow to run the reports that he had removed from Aeris' safe back to Elmyra Gainsborough. "Tonight, if possible please."

_Tonight? You're kidding?_

"I know it's a lot to ask when it's late and you just got back from training," Cloud apologized, "but I really need to return these letters ASAP or bad things will happen to me."

 _Bad things, eh?_ Zack wondered. He assumed that Cloud wanted him to review his student record for the entrance exams and said, "I can write a really good letter of recommendation for you tonight and fax it to the examination committee tomorrow morning; would that work for you?"

He blinked as his words caused Cloud to choke on the piece of chocolate that he had given him.

"You don't want me to give you a recommendation?" SOLDIER 1st Class Fair murmured, with a frown, as the young cadet recovered and said that he was "good to go" and that he had already handed in his letters.

 _I see,_ Zack sighed, feeling slightly disappointed that his spiky haired friend had asked other people for letters of recommendation. _I was hoping that you would come to me, but no worries - I'm sure that you had a good reason for asking for recs from other peeps, and it's not like I was around to write a letter for you, anyway,_ he thought with a shrug, finding it difficult to stay upset about such a minor thing when he was happy to be back.

"It sounds as if you have the situation under control, but I want you to know that the next time you need a letter of recommendation," Zack casually said, "you are invited to come see me, because my door is always open and the offer will still stand."

 _I don't go back on promises that I've made,_ he informed his friend.

Cloud reached out to prevent him from unsealing the envelope and dumping the contents out on the table.

"You - don't want me to open this here?" Zack asked. "Is there something inside here that -"

"Medical letters," Cloud quickly said as Rude wandered back into the room."And you _must_ promise me that after you are done reading these letters, you'll come to me first before you show them to anyone else," he added, when he saw that Cissnei was Rude. "Promise?"

"Ye-yeah, I promise," Zack said, in a distant tone of voice. "You have my word that I'll come to you first and if you like, we can meet up tomorrow morning before class to talk about the letters? Sound good?"

 _Yeah, that works for me; I just wish that I had had more time to finish explaining the letters to you before the Turks came along,_ the blond-haired warrior miserably thought.

He shrugged helplessly as Cissnei sat down at a table with her laptop and called out to Zack, asking him if he was any good at fixing broken computers.

"Good? I'm great at fixing them," SOLDIER 1st Class Fair said in response, and as the black-haired boy turned to help out the pretty Turk lady, Private Strife felt his stomach churn, for Zack's distracted tone of voice made him think that everything he had said about confidentiality had _gone in one ear, and gone out the other._

As Zack booted up Cissnei's computer, Cloud closed his eyes, praying that his friend would not ring up Sephiroth in the middle of the night for confirmation that his mother "was a space alien," because that would _really, really suck._

"Please don't let me down, Zack," he whispered.

_I'm counting on you._


	24. Limit: Heartbreak

**Chapter Twenty-Four - Limit: Heartbreak**

_Midgar - εуλ 0000_

Angeal locked his fingers together and brought them up to his chin as he gazed at the clock mounted above the doorway in the Shinra-owned army hospital. His shot, strained blue eyes anxiously fixed upon the little black hands of the clock, and as they all too slowly inched their way towards eleven, the stressed out SOLDIER leaned forward in his chair and asked the Turk commander, sitting beside him, how much longer he thought that it would be before they heard anything about Genesis' condition. As Tseng apologized and said that the nurse whom had received them when they had arrived at 9 PM had "been very vague about how frequently they would receive updates," the frustrated swordsman massaged his temples, drew in his breath and turned away.

"Should I find someone to request a status report?" Tseng asked.

"I don't know." the disillusioned First Sergeant said, closing his eyes. He began to slowly count to twenty, fearing that if he did not do something to calm himself that he would behave as unprofessionally as the General had, and lash out at the technician who was wheeling a cart through the waiting room.

"Yes, that might not be a bad idea," Angeal replied, rising to his feet.

He got up and went over to the door to check on Sephiroth, who had gone out into the hallway after making his frustration known to everyone in the immediate area.

 _Communication has been awful,_ he thought, as Tseng realized that he was becoming very angry with the incompetence around the workplace and said, "I can understand how frustrating it must feel to be given vague answers when you want to know the status of your colleague, but I trust that this hospital is providing SOLDIER 1st Class Genesis with the best medical treatment available, because they have outstanding, very professional doctors here."

 _"Names?"_ Angeal wanted to know, for the EMTs whom had shown up to save Genesis had left a very bad impression on him. "I am not familiar with the doctors who work at this hospital," he admitted.

"But you are familiar with Professor Hojo, who is here tonight," Tseng said, shivering as he recalled how he had raced up to the simulation room when he had received word that there had been an accident, and seen blood sprayed all over the floor, razor sharp black feathers and glass shards scattered everywhere, and General Sephiroth spamming Curaga on an unconscious Genesis. "And you know that he and the people whom he has trained are skillful doctors who are very experienced with treating SOLDIERs, such as yourself. You should be reassured that he and his team will be treating Genesis."

 _I don't believe that I ever told you,_ Tseng mused, _that Doctor Hojo and his team saved Cissnei?_

"Did you know that a sick bastard shot Cissnei in the back while she was patrolling the Slums and that their bullet grazed her spinal cord?" the head of the Turks unexpectedly asked, drawing Angeal out of his melancholy thoughts. "And are you aware that if she hadn't been taken to this hospital and treated by _these doctors_ that she would be paralyzed and unable to walk today?"

 _It appears that you were not aware that Hojo saved Cissnei,_ Tseng concluded, _but I am not surprised, because…_ "The shooting was not an event that we freely discussed with employees outside our department," the Turk said, "and when people did ask questions about the incident, I downplayed what had happened and refused to give them further information, because Cissnei did not want her misfortune to be sensationalized on the evening news. The last thing I wanted, after all," Tseng bitterly added, "was to have some nurse turn on the TV in the ward and for her to see footage of her misfortune and be reminded of what she _had been_ like and what she stood to lose."

He sighed as Sephiroth came back into the room and Angeal looked at him like he did not believe him.

"What do you mean all 'she stood to lose?'" the First Sergeant wondered.

"Before that bastard shot her, Cissnei was into everything," Tseng plained. "Tennis, horseback riding - artistic gymnastics – kickboxing – competitive swimming – if you name it, she was probably into it. She was just like –"

The words caught in his throat and he choked as images of Genesis jogging through the sand dunes in Costa del Sol, practicing backwards handsprings in the grass and running laps around the track in the underground gym flashed through his mind.

"What I'm trying to say is…" he struggled.

"You are seeing similarities between your colleague and GR _,"_ Sephiroth said, putting into words the opinion that the Turk was having trouble voicing, and Tseng grimly nodded. "That is what you are trying to say, is it not?"

 _Yes, that is what I am trying to say,_ Tseng thought. "Now, Cissnei –"

"What happened to Cissnei?" Angeal distractedly asked, as his eyes met Sephiroth's and he saw that his friend seemed distracted, unnaturally sweaty for someone who had been standing in a cold room for several hours and that the man was swallowing repeatedly to clear the mucus out of his dry throat. "Was she able to make a full recovery?" he wondered with alarm, noticing that the general's movements were disoriented and sluggish. "Is she playing sports again?"

"Yes, she is playing sports again," Tseng said, not knowing that he was wasting words, for Angeal was only half-listening to what he was saying and was focusing on Sephiroth, and trying to figure out what was wrong with him. "Thanks to a very good doctor."

 _A very good doctor?!_ Angeal arched his eyebrows. _How can anyone think that he's a "good doctor?"_

_And as for you, Sephiroth..._

_How could you be dishonest with us about the pain killers,_ Angeal chastised his friend, realizing that Sephiroth was having an allergic reaction to medication that he had consumed, and that that medication was most likely illicitly ordered hydrocone, because hydrocone was known to cause dizziness, lethargy, and sweating.

 _Did you think that we'd look down on you if you told us that you were considering taking stronger medication,_ the 1st quietly wondered. _Were you worried that you would annoy us if you asked us what we thought you should do to treat your condition. And have we ever done anything to you that would make you feel that we cannot be trusted when you are having a health issue,_ First Sergeant Hewley demanded to know.

 _Can't you see that we would never betray your trust? Don't you know that we would never intentionally hurt you,_ Angeal asked Sephiroth, as Tseng and the general got into it in the background.

"Impractical, eh?" Angeal heard Sephiroth snap. "How impractical?"

"It would have taken an _additional_ fifteen minutes to drive to the other side of town," Angeal heard Tseng protest, as Sephiroth fixed angry, disbelieving green eyes on him, "and that hospital does not treat infantrymen, Turks and SOLDIERs - it treats their _families._ And I also doubt that Doctor Hollander would have been on call, because he took the day off from work to meet with an important person."

 _Oh did he, now._ Sephiroth rolled his eyes, clearly disgusted with this explanation, and menacingly sidled up to Tseng. "Tell me whom he was seeing," he said, in a deceptively benign voice that made Angeal wince, because he knew what was coming.

~**********~

Angeal cringed as the general gave the Turk commander one of the smiles that he gave people when he was getting ready to chew them out and make them feel like shit. He turned away and stared at the floor, suddenly finding it very difficult to look at the taller man, as he realized that Sephiroth had been hurt so badly in the past that he would _never_ believe the explanation that Tseng was giving him, and would think that the Turk was lying to him about Hollander's whereabouts in order to push a _pro-Hojo agenda_.

As the general asked Tseng just what exactly Hollander had been doing, First Sergeant Hewley buried his face in the palm of his hands, lowered his eyes, and attempted to come up a plan to help Sephiroth overcome his trust issues. He wracked his brain, thinking about the things that he had done to help GR learn to accept and trust other people, and found himself rejecting what he had done in the past, as he saw that the advice that he had given Genesis would be scorned and the coping techniques that he thought were useful were ill-suited to help a person, who was as emotionally damaged and socially stunted as the general was, find happiness. Not sure what to do, he fixed his eyes on the cold white walls, and found himself wishing that he was better at counseling other people, berating himself for not being there when Hojo had been twisting Sephiroth and turning him into a mistrustful child, and hoping that his friend could see that he was an unstable person and see that...

 _He needs to get professional help,_ Angeal thought, now seeing that the constant friendship that he offered would not be enough to help Sephiroth make his peace with the world, _and he needs to schedule an appointment with a therapist soon, because he has to be miserable being this way, and I'm not sure how much of this I can handle._

 _I'm one of the world's most patient people,_ the 1st lamented, _but this is just so much to put up with on a daily basis and…there is just so much anger in him._

 _I never imagined that I'd run into someone who is this angry,_ Angeal mused, _and the mood-altering pain killers that he's taking are only making it worse,_ he told himself.

 _I think that I should have a little talk with Professor Hojo when I see him tonight,_ Angeal decided, alarmed to see that the drugs had caused the general's lips to dry out and white circles to form around his eyes. _He needs to know that the medication that he prescribed is giving Seph mood swings and that it's impairing his judgment, to the point where he takes large doses, anyway._

_~********~_

_Seph,_ First Sergeant Hewley silently pleaded with his friend, _the lying, the confrontational behavior and the drug use needs to stop. If it doesn't, you're going to make a mess of your life, and you're going to alienate me and alienate Genesis._

 _If you take responsibility for your destructive behavior and get the help you need,_ Angeal unhappily thought, _I'm willing to put the lying and the manipulative behavior behind us and move forward, but…I cannot promise you that Genesis will be as understanding, and…there is a possibility that he will be unable to look passed this, for he's one of the least forgiving people I know and he holds grudges._

 _I'm afraid that he will hold a grudge against you for the lying,_ he thought, remembering how GR had told him that once someone made his "shit list," they stayed on it for good, _and I am also worried that he'll be mad at you, because you made a bad arrangement with Director Lazard and had getting sent to Wutai hinge upon producing a good videotape for the Board members. You -_

 _"You_ are not answering my question. I'd like to know who the important person was whom Hollander was meeting." Sephiroth snapped, jarring Angeal out of his thoughts.

_~********~_

"His niece, nephew and his sister-in-law," Angeal heard the head of the Turks solemnly say.

He looked up and saw that Sephiroth was glaring at Tseng.

"His brother's kids were in town and he took the day off to be with them, because this will most likely be the last time that he sees them before he heads into the hospice."

 _The hospice?_ Sephiroth frowned, regretting that he had been so quick to assume that Hollander had taken the afternoon off in order to spend the day lounging around in front of the TV with his girlfriend. "I don't..."

"Yes, he is considering checking into a hospice," Tseng gravely said. "He is in very bad shape and it gets worse every day for him; it will not be long now before he is gone. I highly doubt that he will last the month," he added.

Sephiroth pensively locked his fingers together and shook his head. "Is Hollander's mother still alive?" he asked. "Why isn't he spending time with her?"

 _His mother?_ Tseng blinked, taken aback, and he turned to Angeal, who understood that this was important to Sephiroth, because the swordsman had been devastated that he had lost his parents when he had been born. _Why does the general want to know about his...oh – I see._

"Hollander's mother passed away thirty years ago," Tseng said with some reluctance, because he was not used to discussing other peoples' personal misfortunes with his colleagues. "She became pregnant again, when Hollander was in college, and deciding to have another child when she was that old and had been battling diabetes was poor judgment on her part," the dark-haired man grimly added. "I don't know how she expected to carry it to term when her health was so poor and I don't know how she could think that the child would not kill her."

The Turk paused, expecting that Sephiroth would say something in response, but the general did not reply, and sat there still and stony, like a statue, and the black-haired man did not know what to think.

 _I hope that I've not offended him._ _The last thing I want is to add to the burden that he's carrying tonight,_ he thought, as he leaned forward in his chair, suddenly feeling that it was imperative to know what Sephiroth was thinking.

~**********~

Tseng quietly observed the general, looking for body language that would indicate that the 1st was displeased with him, but instead of seeing the folded arms, gritted teeth and angry eyes that he expected to see, he found himself staring at colorless skin, parted pink lips, and unsteady, uncurled fingers. Alarmed by how sickly and distracted Sephiroth looked, he looked closer, and beheld distress, disbelief, and sorrow in his commanding officer's lucid, yet distant green eyes. Worried that Sephiroth had fallen ill and that he would have two sick SOLDIERs on his hand, instead of one, he reached out to touch the 1st's hand in order to see if it was clammy and feverish, and as he did, the all mighty general seemed to shrivel and diminish before his eyes and become…

 _A hurt, wounded, feeling human being!_ Tseng thought, eyes widening with shock, as he realized that Sephiroth was _not_ sick or angry.

 _I should not have told him what happened to Mrs. Hollander,_ Tseng mused, not knowing that he was faultless, and that the mood altering pain killing drugs that the 1st had taken were affecting the general's emotions and causing the man to overreact to the comments that he had made. _In the future, I will think twice about what I say,_ he vowed, as a shaken Sephiroth sensed that he was starting to attract unwanted attention, and quickly tried to regain control of the situation by concealing his pain behind a blank, expressionless porcelain mask that would reveal none of what he was thinking.

 _I am sorry,_ Tseng apologized, as the icy, detached general he was familiar with resurfaced, and knocked his hand away.

~**********~

"Please do not touch me," Sephiroth coldly said. "I do not like to be touched by _anyone."_

"I-I understand," Tseng said, and he got up and walked out of the room

Sephiroth watched him go with dispassionate eyes. He turned to his best friend...

...and when their eyes met...

...the hurtful, mistrustful look that Angeal gave him cut Sephiroth to the quick.

 _But if my Mother were still alive, I do not think that I would mind being touched by her,_ the general thought.

 _I wish that you hadn't died, Mother,_ Sephiroth mourned. _And I wish that you were here with me now,_ _because I could need you when someone I care about is sick and it appears –_

… _It appears that I am alone and unable to turn one of my closest friends,_ Sephiroth sighed.

He turned to his friend as he thought this. His eyes met First Sergeant Hewley's, and the hurt, mistrustful look that the honorable man gave him cut him to the quick.

 _I-I do not understand why you are looking at me this way, Angeal,_ the shaken angel shivered, as he saw pity, anger and suspicion reflected in his friend's strained irises, _when I have always treated you with respect and never betrayed your confidence in me._

 _Do you feel that I ignored your advice and pushed myself too far when we were fighting,_ the general wondered. _Or are you mad at me because I based Genesis getting the mission around videotaping a duel?_

 _I have no way of knowing what I have done to offend you unless you tell me,_ Sephiroth sorrowfully thought, as he gathered up the courage to softly say, "I get the impression that you are displeased with me – and I would appreciate it if you would tell me why before Tseng returns. If it is because you feel that the match was poorly handled, I want to let you know that I regret what happened."

A shake from Angeal's head, however, indicated that, _no,_ he was not mad about the match.

"Then why are you upset?" Sephiroth asked.

Angeal stiffened, and shook his head to indicate that he did not want to have this conversation when he was worried sick about Genesis being in serious condition in the trauma ward.

"Please, tell me, what I did wrong so that we can resolve this before we pay GR a visit," Sephiroth inconsiderately persisted, not knowing that Angeal would misinterpret what he was trying to say, and assume that this little comment was a thinly veiled threat intended to manipulate him into having a discussion that he did not want to have. "So we don't go in there and have this disagreement stress him out when he is sick now. You wouldn't want that to happen now, would you?"

 _No, I wouldn't want that to happen,_ Angeal flinched, and he looked away, shocked that Sephiroth had just stated that he was going to use the fact that Genesis was going through physical hell to blackmail him. _I do not want GR to be caught up in drama when he is in serious condition and I can't believe that you are doing this to me and to Genesis,_ he sighed, as he shook his head and said, "I am upset with you, because you told me that you went to see Doctor Hojo this morning, and then told Genesis that you had scheduled an appointment with him several days ago. I am unhappy, because –"

"You feel that I misled you," Sephiroth coldly said in response. "You think that I am a very good liar."

 _Yes, I think that you are very good at lying,_ Angeal groaned, _but you will not admit that you were wrong and take accountability for your mistakes, will you, because you are too proud to undermine the person whom you have convinced yourself you are supposed to be._

 _You would prefer to keep on lying and deceiving people, rather than hold the mirror up to your face and see that you are a mistrustful, emotionally unbalanced person who bases their self-worth on projecting "celebrity" and "personality" to the world, wouldn't you,_ he bitterly thought, realizing now that his boss had been manipulating him over dinner and trying to force him to change the topic when he had told him that Professor Hojo had tried to run additional tests and squeeze in another appointment with him.

 _I am sorry to see that we live in a world where self-image takes precedence over people,_ the honorable SOLDIER sighed, as he said, "I did not accuse you of being a _'liar.'_ All I said was that…"

"I told Director Lazard one thing, then turned around and intentionally told Genesis something completely different," Sephiroth snapped. "You might not have called me a 'liar,' but that's what you were implying, yes?"

 _Yes, I suppose I was,_ Angeal wearily conceded, as he softened his voice so that it would not sound so accusatory and judgmental, and said, "Perhaps you could explain to me what happened? Maybe you had two appointments – one a few days ago and another appointment this morning – and I misunderstood what you meant and thought that you only had one appointment?"

"Yes, perhaps you misunderstood what I meant," Sephiroth coldly said. "And perhaps you should pay more attention and think twice before you accuse others of lying," he nastily informed his First Sergeant, even though he knew damn well that he was at fault here. "Perhaps…"

"Perhaps you can also tell me why your eyes are shot, you are sweaty, and you look run-down," Angeal said, and he sighed as his words pierced his friend, and caused the angry mask that Sephiroth had donned to crack, crumble and fall away. "Are you sick or is the medication that you have been taking affecting you?" First Sergeant Hewley asked, watching as confidence was replaced with bewilderment, pride fought with embarrassment, and courage warred with fear.

"Why did you conceal the fact that you were taking hydrocone?" Angeal wondered. "Why are you continuing to take it when it is giving you allergic reactions and why–"

"Why did I keep secrets from you and not answer your questions?" the general said in his most even voice. "That's the question worth one million gil, isn't it," he unhappily murmured, struggling to think of how he could explain what he had done without revealing extremely personal information, and turn the tables on Angeal so that his First Sergeant would feel ashamed that he had challenged him and forced him to justify his decisions. "And unfortunately – I am not exactly sure what I was thinking when I decided not to be forthcoming with you," he sighed, his voice thick and heavy with cleverly feigned regret and unhappiness.

 _Not 'exactly sure?'_ First Sergeant Hewley arched his black eyebrows, suspecting that Sephiroth was attempting to manipulate him into believing that the lying had not been premeditated, and that it had just happened when he had been put on the spot. _You knew damn well what you were doing,_ he exasperatedly thought, as he firmly said, "Honesty is always the best policy. Lying is never a good thing to do."

 _Is it now?_ Sephiroth wondered. _I beg to differ._

 _If people treated you the way that they treat me, you would quickly change your mind about "honesty being the best policy,"_ the general sighed. _And you would not think twice about lying if you were under the care of a kind, compassionate person like Professor Hojo._

 _Sometimes there are times when it is absolutely necessary to lie,_ he thought, as he turned to Angeal and said, "I am sorry that I did not discuss my medical decisions with you, but word as you know, gets around, and the last thing that I wanted was for people to be talking about my condition."

"Because it would have been embarrassing and undermined the image that people have of you?" Angeal wearily replied, and he wished that the general did not give a damn what other people thought about him.

 _No,_ Sephiroth bristled. _You have it wrong. That is **not** the reason that I sought out the pain killers, _he lied to himself, _and I find it highly insulting that you would imply that I would request controversial medication to "boost my self-esteem."_

 _I am not that weak-willed and I could care less what people think of me,_ he thought, as he shrugged and said, "Self-image had nothing to do with it – company…"

His eyes lit up, as he came up with the perfect lie to for Angeal.

"Company security did."

"Company security?!" Angeal sputtered. "How can you say that," he demanded, "when it was clear that you were taking hydrocone because –"

"Because I am a self-conscious little girl who starves herself to death, fritters all her money away on designer clothes and bases her self-worth on how many people want to be her boyfriend?" Sephiroth asked, with mockery and derision in his eyes. "Or an insecure brat who goes out and takes steroids so he can 'earn' his spot on the varsity football team? Those are the people you are grouping me with, Angeal, when you accuse me of taking hydrocone to 'preserve my self-image,' and it disappoints me that you would say that, because…"

He faltered, realizing that if he did not get his temper under control, that he would say something that would permanently damage their friendship.

"Because…"

He closed his eyes and turned away from the other man, not wanting his friend to see that it was hard for him to deny that he was like the unpleasant people he accused Angeal of comparing him to, when he knew that his irresponsible, reckless behavior placed him in their league.

"Because I thought that you knew me better and that you could see that I am not concerned with my self-image, the way _those_ people are concerned with theirs," he said, in a tone that lacked conviction, "but it appears that I was mistaken about _you."_

"And just so you know," the winter-hearted general added, "I also don't give a damn what people think of me and I don't care whether I am well-liked."

 _If I did care about either of those two things,_ he told himself, _I would have chosen to be a behind the scenes tactician, instead of a forceful, decisive and vocal military leader, kept my head out of politics and would have run in the other direction when they deployed me to Wutai._

 _You should consider such roles and factors next time you decide to psycho-analyze me,_ Sephiroth viciously thought, and he said, "I do not want to discuss this any further. Please accept that I took the hydrocone, because I was concerned about company security, and change the subject."

~********~

Sephiroth paused, waiting to see if Angeal would accept his explanation, apologize and move on, but to his dismay, the black-haired man thrust out his jaw and said, "I don't see what taking hydrocone has to do with security. Those two things are not connected at –"

 _Ignorant Angeal,_ Sephiroth dryly thought. He turned away from his honorable friend and said, "I disagree with your argument. Company security truly would have been jeopardized if I had not taken hydrocone."

 _How so,_ First Sergeant Hewley demanded to know, and the general grimaced and said, "I am not happy that it came down to ordering hydrocone, but I _need_ to take it to deal with my back pain. If I did not take pain killers and let my back heal on its own, I would otherwise be an ineffective, injured fighter who the company would be unable to count on if a crisis arose - and given that we may have another war on our hands, in the near future, I would say the possibility of having to deal with an emergency is very real."

"I am making this sacrifice for SOLDIER," he firmly said, repeating what he had just said in order to make himself believe that he had indeed taken the hydrocone to protect the company's interests, "because the last thing I want is to be crippled when the Wutainese decide to attack us with the high-powered machine guns that they have been buying, and…I realize now that it was the fear of having people find out that I was injured that made it easy for me to justify lying to you in my mind."

"Explain," Angeal said, in a clipped voice, as it occurred to him that Sephiroth had been apologizing for concealing information from him and not assuming responsibility for lying. "Tell me why you thought that it would be a good idea to _lie_ about the hydrocone."

He turned to his friend and looked him in the eyes, hoping that the general would continue to acknowledge the mistakes that he had made, but he soon saw that this was _not_ going to happen, for Sephiroth realized that he had been on the verge of admitting that he had lied and said: "I couldn't be _upfront_ with you about the hydrocone, because if I had told you that I had been taking pain killers, word would have spread to other people, they would have realized that I was ill and unable to effectively perform my job and bad things would have happened."

"Such as?"Angeal wanted to know.

"I can imagine people doing any number of bad things, knowing that the leader of the Shinra army is out of commission," Sephiroth arrogantly said, genuinely convinced that _he_ was the reason that people behaved themselves and played nice with Shinra, "but at the time, I considered it likely that we would have Lord Godo sympathizers opening fire on civilians in the street and my men finding themselves under attack in Wutai, and when I heard Director Lazard speak fondly of SOLDIER 2nd Class Fair, I _knew that_ that the Director would recommend you and Zackary for the mission and all I could think about was how worried I was for your well-being and for the boy's well-being; do you understand?"

"No, I don't understand. Are you saying that concern for our safety motivated you to take the hydrocone? For Gaia's sake, Seph, that's –"

"Please, try to understand why I was not upfront with you," Sephiroth cut him off, determined to overwhelm him, now that he was good and confused. "And please, try to forgive me for keeping the hydrocone a secret from you," he pressed the other man, and the keening sense of urgency in his voice made Angeal realize that something was not quite right here.

"Can we be friends again?" the general asked in a pleading voice.

"I would like to move forward," Sephiroth said, as Angeal remembered how his friend had told him that Hojo had wanted to perform experiments on him during their appointment, thinking that it would guilt-trip him into changing the topic when they had gotten together at his place. "Start with a fresh slate," the swordsman went on, as the bad experience that he had had over dinner made First Sergeant Hewley question whether the proclamations that he was hearing now were genuine and sincere. "Put the past behind us," the silver-haired man desperately said, as Angeal looked back at all the years that they had spent together and remembered how Sephiroth had offered to pay for his hospital bills when he had been sick, recommended him for 1st when the person whom had been mentoring him had refused to write a letter of recommendation for him, and been supportive when his mother had had a stroke.

"Angeal," the general lulled, "is one _misunderstanding_ going to cost us over seven years of friendship? Have you lost all faith in me?"

 _No, I haven't lost all faith in you,_ _but after what happened,_ Angeal sighed to himself, _I'm not just going to trust you like I did in the past, and before we can be good friends again, I'm going to have to see some effort on your part to change how you are._

He smiled sadly at his friend, as he realized that he would never be able to give Sephiroth his absolute trust again.

_You're going to have to show me that you no longer lie, demonstrate that you accept responsibility for your dishonorable behavior, prove to me that you understand that it is important to respect other peoples' confidences, and…the self-destructive behavior has also got to stop._

_Seph,_ he thought, _you need to get help. Otherwise…you're going to continue mistrusting people and talking yourself into believing that you need to take hydrocone for the wrong reasons._

"If you want to be my friend," Angeal firmly said, "promise me that you will be honest with me from now on and promise me that you will see someone to talk about your relationships with other people and your reasons for taking hydrocone. I can sympathize with someone taking hydrocone as a last resort, but it's irresponsible to order hydrocone online. You should let a responsible doctor - not Hojo - decide if it's best for you...and...you shouldn't keep taking hydrocone when it's giving you drug reactions. That's..."

" _See someone" to talk about my problems?"_

 _Did Hewley just say what I thought he said,_ Sephiroth bristled. _Yes, he did._

 _You ignorant little fool,_ the 1st rage, but he forced himself to say, "Do you have any idea how angry you are making me?" in a deceptively calm voice.

 _Yes, I have an idea,_ Angeal sadly thought, _and I'm sorry that my words are making you feel angry and upset, but.._

He drew in his breath as the beautiful porcelain doll standing before him shook its head in denial and drew itself up, trying to appear strong, proud and sure of itself, as his honest words pierced its heart.

… _I need to say these things for your own good,_ Angeal told the general. _I would be a bad friend if I did not say these things,_ he told himself, as he lowered his eyes and said, "I'm not trying to hurt you, I'm trying to help you."

"What do you mean?" Sephiroth demanded. "How can you claim that you are helping me when you are telling me that I need to see a psychiatrist? And why do you think I need one when I can turn to –"

"Genesis and myself?" Angeal asked, guessing what Sephiroth was thinking. "Yes, you could turn to us, but…we are too close to you, and that would hinder, rather than help you, when you need someone who can be objective and only has a professional interest in you."

 _Professional interest?_ Sephiroth's eyes blazed hell fire, and Angeal cringed, because what he had just said had reminded the general that his doctor had a "professional interest" in him.

"Disregard what I just said," Angeal quickly said, hoping that the head of the Shinra army would forget about what he had said and not start searching for similarities between shrinks and Professor Hojo, "I misspoke myself. I was not implying that they have a _financial_ interest in you; all I was trying to say is that they are not _emotionally invested in you_ on a personal level the way GR and I are, and that's what you want, because a psychiatrist will not be shocked by your life story and will not hold what you tell them against you, but your friends, on the other hand, might not be as understanding and might…"

Angeal shrugged his shoulders in defeat and heaved a sigh, as Sephiroth shook his head dismissively at him and looked beyond him, fixing baleful green eyes at the cold white wall in the distance.

"Seph," he said at last, as he realized that the cycle of lies, hurt feelings and emotional and psychological violence was going to continue, because the general was making it clear that he did not want to get help, "if you have done anything else to _mislead_ us, I don't want you to tell me about it, because I would not be able to emotionally handle it, and I am afraid that I would have a hard time looking past anymore manipulation and deceit."

He looked away, deciding that if his friend was going to reject his advice, that pursuing a policy of _ignorance is bliss_ would be the best way of coping with the irresponsible drug use and the lies in the short term.

"I also would advise against going to Genesis," Angeal said, as he pictured his sick friend finding out about all the manipulative behavior while he was recovering from his injuries, "because it would be stressful for you to share your _problems_ with him when he is in serious condition. He would not be able to deal with –"

 _Oh my god,_ he paled, as realized how harsh his words sounded.

"I'm sorry," First Sergeant Hewley apologized. "I didn't mean to sound so cruel. I'm just trying to show you that…"

 _You're just trying to show me that you hold grudges against people when they betray your trust - and you want to make it clear to me that you don't want to learn anything that would make you despise me_ , Sephiroth silently finished for him, as he realized that First Sergeant Hewley was the world's most unforgiving person.

 _Don't worry, Angeal,_ he coldly thought, _I understand what you are trying to say, accept that that is how you are, and have a very simple solution for co-existing with people like you. From now,_ he bitterly promised the stressed out 1st, _I will keep my distance from you so that you won't be "exposed" to anything that will "make you lose faith in me," and I won't tell you anything "personal," because I now know that you can only "handle" a professional relationship._

 _I hope that you don't come back in three weeks from now, expecting to be the way we were before,_ the general nastily informed First Sergeant Hewley, as the hydrocone clouded his judgment and made him think irrational, angry thoughts, _because_ _I demand consistency from my friends and I expect them to know their minds, and you have definitely proven to me that you are not the friend that I thought you to be._

 _Consider the loss of trust to be mutual,_ Sephiroth sorrowfully told his "friend," as Angeal motioned towards the glass pane separating them from the waiting room from the corridor and said, "It looks like Tseng is standing on the other side of the wall talking to Doctor Hojo; I would recommend that we can continue this discussion another time?"

"Yes, I think that would be wise," the general dryly said, mentally cringing at the thought of Professor Hojo walking in when they fighting with each other, "but in the meantime, let's treat each other with professionalism and…?"

"Give each other space until I decide what level of friendship I am comfortable with," Angeal quickly said, "and let's not drag Genesis into this, because it would be hard on him to be caught in the middle of this _mess_ and feel like he had to choose between…"

He trailed off, as his friend narrowed his eyes, folded his arms and thrust out his jaw so that Hojo would not suspect that anything was amiss when he came into the room.

"You know what I am trying to say," First Sergeant Hewley added, with badly concealed optimism in his voice, as the disgusted look that Sephiroth gave a pain-killer brochure made him feel hopeful that his friend had absorbed the things that he had said.

 _I hope that you have an epiphany and decide to stop taking addictive pain-killer medication,_ Angeal thought, not knowing that he had misread Sephiroth, and that the 1st was more resolved than ever to continue taking hydrocone to treat his back injury, _because I don't want to see prescription meds ruin your life. And,_ he cringed, as Tseng held open the door for Professor Hojo, _I hope that you can keep your temper under control now that your least liked person is here._

 _Please don't murder the scientist,_ he thought with disgust, as Hojo fixed his eyes on them and gave them a condescending, self-righteous smile and said, "Have you come to see me for treatment for your back pains, Sephiroth? If you will follow me, I will take you to a room where we can have an X-ray on your shoulder done."

 _An X-ray?!_ Angeal blinked, feeling appalled that the twisted scientist was thinking about examining Sephiroth when he had an obligation to Genesis.

"No, I do _not_ want to be X-rayed," First Sergeant Hewley was relieved to hear his friend snap, "and getting seen by you is the last thing on my mind when one of my best officers had a window fall on him. If you could tell us how he is doing and what procedures your team has performed on him…."

 _I will let you live another day,_ Sephiroth raged, as Hojo cheerfully said, "Your co-worker was taken into the Emergency Unit and my 'team' used curative materia to stop his bleeding, removed the shards of glass from his skin and stitched up his cuts."

"That was all you did?" the general demanded, not believing that treating someone that severely injured had been _that simple_. "He lost a lot of blood; didn't you give him a transfusion?" he asked with alarm, as he realized that Hojo had only described what he had done to treat Genesis, and failed to tell them what his friend's status was. "I would think that he would have required one?"

"Yes, yes, we gave him a transfusion," Hojo acidly said, "and the procedure stabilized his condition, but –"

His eyes hardened and became cruel as _Lucrecia's bitch_ glared at him.

"I am afraid that I will need blood from one of the two of you, because the blood that we gave him does not contain mako, and he will need mako rich blood to make a full recovery." he lied, deciding that he would punish Sephiroth for his defiance by...

...acting like he wanted him to be the donor...

...using the opportunity to make embarrassing and **untrue** speculations about Sephiroth's health...

...using the false speculations to reject Sephiroth as the donor...

...accepting Angeal as the donor...

...and using the blood he collected from Angeal to study Hollander's inferior creations.

Hojo laughed, as he thought about how fun it would be to manipulate Sephiroth and humiliate him. "Would anyone like to volunteer?" the diabolical doctor smiled, and his spirits soared with triumph as the general fell for the trap.


	25. Doctor Douche

**Chapter Twenty-Five - Doctor Douche**

_Midgar - εуλ 0000_

Sephiroth gazed warily at Professor Hojo as the grizzled scientist informed the people in the room that Genesis needed another blood transfusion to make a full recovery. As the small man seized Angeal's hand and gravely emphasized that their "friend was counting on them not to let him down," the general found himself wondering why the hospital had not asked them for their assistance when Genesis had been wheeled into surgery. Surely, the silver-haired man mused, Hojo and his team had to have been told that two healthy SOLDIERs, with rich, mako-infused blood in their bodies, had been sitting in the lobby, and surely, he rationalized, the doctors had to have known that it would have been more efficient to give Genesis their blood from the start, rather than give him blood from another person, and fill him up with their blood later on?

 _I hope that they have a good explanation for this,_ Sephiroth mentally growled, _because I am bewildered that it took them so long to realize that Genesis needs our blood. They are either incompetent and do not know what they are doing, or_ _someone thought that it would be a good idea to wait, and postpone asking us for our help._

 _I honestly, would not be the least bit surprised if it was the latter scenario,_ the general snarled, _because in my experience, anytime that something goes wrong, the problem can usually be traced back to Professor Hojo._

Yes, he definitely played a part in this mess, Sephiroth decided - the condescending smile that the physician gave him confirmed his suspicions that the old man was up to his tricks again.

 _Hojo, you hateful bastard, what are you doing **this** time, and why the hell do you feel the need to toy with Genesis' health, _the silver-haired swordsman raged. _Haven't you done enough damage,_ the general silently asked his enemy, as Doctor Hojo turned to him and said, "You seem to be unhappy about the procedure that I am describing, Sephiroth. Do you object to your colleague receiving a blood transfusion on moral or religious grounds?"

 _Excuse me?_ Sephiroth wondered, taken aback by the question. "No, I do not object to my colleague receiving blood transfusions," the general dryly said, while Hojo quivered with perverse delight, pleased that this personal question had gotten a rise out of him, "but I am concerned that he needs _another_ transfusion when one could have sufficed."

"What do you mean, child?" the Professor demanded, forgetting for a moment that planned on manipulating Sephiroth and embarrassing him with false speculations about his health. "Do you feel that it would be a mistake to give your colleague 'another' transfusion?"

The sly doctor's eyes became slits as the general gestured towards Angeal and then towards himself. "No, you need to go ahead with the second transfusion," Sephiroth spat, "because you and your team had the opportunity to ask us for our help when we arrived, but failed to do so; had you and your staff made use of us, Genesis would have had the mako-rich blood that he needs, by now, and we would not have had our faith in you shaken by this incident."

He folded his arms and thrust out his chin as the Professor stood up on tip-toe and tried to levelly meet his defiant gaze.

"You should know, Doctor," Sephiroth went on with a sneer, "that you do not gain peoples' trust when you put their co-workers through procedures that could have been avoided with careful planning, and I would think that – grr!"

His sentence ended in a snarl as Angeal decided that he had gone too far and decided to intervene by saying, "No doubt Professor Hojo had a reason for doing what he did? Perhaps confusion and suspicion can be avoided if he explains to us why Genesis needs multiple transfusions."

"Yes, I think that would be an excellent idea," Tseng added, to Sephiroth's dismay, "let's listen to Doctor Hojo."

The Turk gave everyone in the room a warning look, as people fixed belligerent, uncooperative eyes upon each other.

"And let's not criticize the procedures that he is using until after we have heard his explanation," he said, hoping that the suggestion that Angeal had made would diffuse things by returning control of the situation to Professor Hojo. "Can we all agree to that?"

 _Yes, I suppose I can agree to that,_ Sephiroth thought with chagrin. _But I do not like the idea, and I think that you will regret that you gave him a way out._

 _Thanks to the two of you, Hojo will not be forced to admit his mistake,_ Sephiroth growled. _Had you not put the ball back in his court, I could have kept the pressure on him, and maybe …_

The general shrugged, accepting that it was too late to do anything now.

 _Opportunity missed,_ Sephiroth told himself, turning to Professor Hojo, who was saying, "My plan is to refrigerate the mako-rich blood that the volunteer donates and hold off on giving it to SOLDIER 1st Class Genesis until I feel confident that it will be safe for him to receive it, then, when the time comes, I will give it to him in increments, and slowly reintroduce it into his body."

 _Increments?_ Sephiroth frowned, not sure that he liked that idea, because the way that Hojo had just described the procedure made it sound as though Genesis was going to be put through a long, painful ordeal. "Explain how many times you will be hooking Genesis up to a drip," the general warningly said. "How _invasive_ is this going to be?"

"Not invasive at all, my boy," the doctor leered at everyone. "It will be no more uncomfortable than what a young bitch experiences when she goes in for her first distemper shot, provided that…"

He smiled cruelly, as Sephiroth bristled at his words and Angeal looked away, disappointed that he had chosen to abuse the opportunity that he had been given to explain himself.

"Well, we are assuming the patient is going to be cooperative," Hojo smugly added. "Intractable, panicky bitches do not have as pleasant an experience as the ones who understand that they need to obey their veterinarians, and injured SOLDIERs who berate my team and hospitals tend to think my procedures are a lot more invasive than the ones who realize that the treatment that they are receiving is for their own."

"I hope that your colleague realize that I am trying to help him _,"_ Professor Hojo went on, "because his attitude is making it difficult for me to treat his injuries. For some reason, he seems to think that I am a _villain_ and feels that he should challenge the doctors who have been in to see him. I may need your help convincing him I have sincere intentions," he continued, in a sorrowful voice, as he recalled how Genesis had flipped out when he had proposed that they take a trip down to Radiation to get an obviously broken ankle X-rayed for fractures, "but anyhow…"

He banged his clipboard on the table to get everyone's attention.

"I think that it is time that we choose a donor!" the doctor cheerfully said. "Who would like to be the volunteer?"

"I would." Sephiroth said. "Give him my blood. Take me as the donor and…I want to see Genesis before you cut me open and start draining me, and then when he is well enough to receive my blood, I want to watch and make certain that he is _comfortable."_

 _Do you now,_ the doctor's beady eyes leered back at him, and the general felt his blood boil. "In _my_ hospital, we do not permit people to watch surgeries," the Professor smugly said, "and the same rules also apply to watching patients get blood transfusions. If we were –"

"Would it be possible to make an exception?" Angeal interrupted Hojo. "The _General_ is very concerned about his colleague's well-being and it would mean a lot to him if he could be there while the procedure takes place."

"There will be NO exceptions," the renowned Professor nastily said. "This hospital is concerned about protecting the privacy of its patients and it would set a bad precedent if we bent the rules for -" - _Lucrecia's bitch_ \- "our _esteemed General._ We can't bend the rules for anyone, not even the general."

"I see," Angeal sounded nonplussed. "That is _your_ position, eh?"

"Oh no, not my position, the hospital's position," Hojo sneered. "Can you _understand_ where they are coming from?" he asked Genesis' three incredulous co-workers.

 _Oh yes, I "understand" where **you** are coming from, _ Sephiroth sarcastically thought, _and I plan on paying a visit to the Director and having a little talk with him about you and your policies. Refusing to allow me to be in the same room with Genesis while the transfusion takes place, you "see," doesn't fly, and I think that this vaguely worded consent form that you gave me should also find its way to Mr. Lazard, because it seeks to subtly violate my rights._

He knit his brows as he saw that there was a clause at the bottom of the consent form that stated that blood that was not used in the transfusion could be used for research purposes.

 _Unacceptable,_ Sephiroth raged, and he wote "I DO NOT GIVE CONSENT TO HAVE YOU USE LEFTOVER BLOOD FROM MY BODY FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES! NO EXCEPTIONS!!" next to the offensive paragraph.

 _Here is your paperwork back…with modifications that you better respect,_ he dryly thought, as he returned the amended consent form to Professor Hojo and said, "I have reviewed the paperwork, and decided that I would like to have a Xeroxed copy made for my own protection before we proceed; can that be done?"

~**********~

Sephiroth gazed at the Professor doubtfully, expecting that the man would say "no" and give him some bullshit excuse to justify his refusal, but to his surprise, the doctor smiled sweetly at him and promised that he would get on it "ASAP." "I will have my assistant makes copies while you are visiting your colleague," Hojo agreeably said, for it was easy to agree to a promise that he did not plan on keeping, "and when you are finished, they will be waiting for you at –"

He trailed off and gazed at the general intently, wanting to make sure that Sephiroth was emotionally wrapped up in the transfusion, for it would not be fun for him to make false speculations about Sephiroth's health and revoke his opportunity to be the donor, if Lucrecia's brat was too spent to care.

"Try the front desk," Hojo went on, with frustration, realizing that he would not be able to determine what level of emotional investment Sephiroth was putting into the procedure.

 _I hope Shit for Brains Sephiroth has thrown his heart and soul into this,_ the Professor snidely thought, deciding to go ahead with his twisted mind game anyway, _for I paid for a front row ticket to ruin his day, and I expect to get my money's worth! I want to see tears! Anger! And angst,_ he continued to sneer, as he held out the paperwork that Sephiroth had just given him, and gravely said, "I'm afraid that I will not be able to accept you as a donor after all, for I have just thought of something very serious."

"Such as?!"

Hojo smiled cruelly as Sephiroth fixed bewildered green eyes on him, and tried to figure out what was going. He leaned back against the wall, eagerly anticipating the drama that was about to ensue, as the 1st started to say something nasty to him, but thought better of it, realizing that he was being rejected because the Professor had found a flaw with the condition of his body.

"The high levels of mako energy in my blood pose a health risk, don't they?" Sephiroth wondered. "If you used my blood, there is a chance that Genesis could become sick?"

Yes, Hojo nodded, there was a _small_ chance. However…

"I'm more concerned that you would end up exposing Genesis to a virus," the weasly Professor lied, deciding that he would insinuate that Sephiroth had been exposed to a blood-born illness to embarrass and distress the general, "and we would not want your friend to be endangered in that way."

"A virus?" Sephiroth murmured. "You suspect that I…?"

"Yes, I suspect that your mother may have transmitted a virus to you while you were in her womb _,"_ Hojo laughed. "And I believe that that virus is HCMV (Human Herpes 5), because it looks to me as though you have the same symptoms as the people whom I have treated in the past _."_

 _Want to know about HCMV,_ the Professor thought, watching with glee as Sephiroth sat down, closed his eyes and wondered if there was any truth in the cruel statements that he had made. _I can tell you everything that I have ever read about our little viral friend,_ Hojo snickered to himself, while the general tried to tune him out, sickened that his doctor was making disgusting speculations about his health.

 _For example…_ "Did you know," the Professor started to say, "that the HCMV virus is –"

"What makes you think that Seph has HCMV? It's not a common disorder, you know." Angeal abrasively said. He suspected that Hojo planned on claiming Sephiroth had a blood borne illness so that he could embarrass him, and then reject him as the donor, and was determined to put a stop to his bullshit. "Are you drawing this conclusion based on symptoms that you have seen tonight in this waiting room, or do you have a pathology report from the lab that tells you that he has HCMV antibodies in his body? And if it is the latter scenario, who, may I ask, wrote the report and did the blood-work?" the honorable man wondered, and Hojo snarled, frustrated that he had posed the question _that way,_ because refusing to give the name of the pathologist would make everyone suspicious, and continuing to insist that there were visible signs of infection would be a foolish thing to do when there was someone in the room who was clearly aware that you could _not_ diagnose the virus just by looking at a person.

"If you could give me the name of the doctor _and_ the address of the lab," Angeal went on, determined not to give Hojo an inch of breathing space until the slimy man had retracted the offensive things that he had said, "I'd appreciate it, because that sort of information would be really useful to me. I would definitely make use of it, because you have convinced me that it would be a good idea for me to go in for testing and find out if any of my family members transmitted a virus to me.

"For all I know," he reluctantly continued, "I might have a life-threatening condition, like Hepatitis, and the last thing that I would want is to not know about it and risk infecting Sephiroth if an emergency arises where we have to _share blood_ with each other again."

 _Share blood?!_ Hojo felt his stomach churn as he pictured Sephiroth's priceless blood being pumped into a _lesser being's_ body and strengthening them.

"Explain what you mean," the Professor coldly said. "I would like to know when this little exchange took place, which doctor performed the procedure and how much blood you received."

He bristled, as he imagined a rival doctor going against him and authorizing the blood transfusion.

"It would be…useful…for my records; can you provide me with that information?"

"Yes, I can tell you the doctor's name," Angeal frostily said, "but I am afraid that I cannot tell you how much blood my _comrade_ gave me, because I was bleeding to death from a shrapnel wound at the time and…well, when you're fading in and out of consciousness and are trying to have a transfusion performed on you mid-mission in the middle of enemy territory, you generally don't pay attention to little details like that."

He smiled softly as Sephiroth realized that he was standing up for him and fixed bewildered, but grateful green eyes on him.

"You tend to think more about making it home to see your mother again," he added, "and not how much their blood is – "

"Poisoning you," the Professor pleasantly suggested. "The moment you received blood from him, he exposed his misfortune to you. You should be worried."

His eyes narrowed as Angeal levelly met his gaze and said: "No, I shouldn't, because after we returned from Junon, Hollander had me go through all the tests to make sure Sephiroth had not transmitted anything to me, and the pathologist who did the lab work did not find – URGH!"

The black-haired man grimaced as the Professor trod on his foot, grinding the heel of his shoes against his toes to thank him for undermining his plans.

"Hmph, how careless. In the future you might want to pay more attention to where you are putting those expensive leather shoes of yours and watch where you are going," Hojo was displeased to hear the general say in a lethal-sounding voice, "because you just walked all over Angeal's boots and –"

The grizzly-haired scientist gnashed his teeth, as he turned around and walked right into Sephiroth, who had stood up, and repositioned himself so that he would be the first person the manipulative doctor saw when he looked over his shoulder.

" - You almost slammed your head into my jaw and punched me with your hands," the 1st growled.

"Perhaps would you like for me to find a cane for you or support you on my arm?" Sephiroth felt he needed to nastily add. "You appear to be having some problems walking and you look shaky."

He rolled his eyes and ignored the warning look that Tseng gave him, because it was now clear to him that Hojo had never wanted him to be the donor in the first place, and that the sick old man had only given him the consent forms so that he could get his hopes up and make bullshit speculations and excuses to reject him.

"I guess it's your arthritis flaring up, eh?" he asked the wizened doctor. "Or maybe you have been working too hard and are over tired?" the general tonelessly murmured.

"Doubtful," Hojo furiously replied.

He redirected his attention to Angeal, handed the SOLDIER a pen and informed him that the hospital needed him to be the donor, because he could not afford to "take a gamble with Sephiroth" when there were just "too many uncertainties" about the man's health and what his blood would do to Genesis. "If there is anything that confuses you about the paperwork," he rudely said, "I recommend that you ask for clarification now, because I will be unavailable to answer questions for you while the procedure is being performed, and the person who will be taking your blood is not allowed to discuss policies with you."

He felt his shoulders stiffen, as he turned to face Sephiroth and was appalled to see that the general did not appear to be the least bit devastated that Angeal had been chosen to be the donor over him.

"We have very strict rules about following the chain of command around here, you see," the ruffled Professor sputtered, projecting what he was feeling into his words, "and the technician would be violating them if he tried to explain the paperwork to you."

He glared at Sephiroth and watched coldly as the general stood up, went over to the doorway and quietly asked Tseng if he knew where he could find "'CR' in the hospital."

" _CR?"_ Professor Hojo softly murmured, and he looked up just in time to see Sephiroth and the Turk head through the door and move out of earshot. "Who the hell is that?" he loudly wondered. "Another co-worker of theirs, also at this hospital?" he assumed, turning to Angeal.

"If you tell me who this _C_ person is," the physician amiably said, not knowing that Sephiroth had intentionally botched Genesis' nickname in order to throw eavesdroppers like himself off, "I can look them up in the database, find out what room they are in, and make a few calls to ensure that they receive the best treatment - _service_ \- possible during their stay here in the hospital."

 _Going to tell me what this person's full name is?_ the Professor wondered.

Angeal looked up at him and abrasively said, "I am assuming that they are talking about _Cloud,_ Genesis' new apprentice, in the hallway. But I wouldn't know – because I'm in here with the hospitality staff."

_New apprentice, eh? Must be someone really talented to get Rhapsodos' attention._

Hojo arched his eyebrows and made a note to himself to find out as much information as he could about 'Cloud.'

 _I may be able to use this 'Cloud' person against Lucrecia's bitch and the rest of the wolf pack,_ the doctor laughed to himself, confident that a young, easily frustrated apprentice would turn on his mentor and his mentor's friends and agree to do some spying for him if he offered to make it worth his while. _I've used the young and the gullible to get at Sephiroth before with great success,_ the Professor grinned, _so I don't see why I shouldn't do it again…now that another opportunity presents itself._

His eyes sparkled maliciously as he began to concoct plans that involved Cloud sneaking a tape recorder into Sephiroth's office, making copies of Genesis' personal files and shadowing Angeal on the way to work.

 _I wonder what it will take this time to corrupt a young one? Money? A few unauthorized steroid prescriptions? Or recommendation letters?_ Hojo asked himself.

 _It shouldn't be too hard to determine what the little boy wants most in the world,_ Hojo silently chortled, as First Sergeant Hewley turned to him and said, "I wonder if they are discussing the progress that Genesis has made with Cloud and the things that the boy needs to do to improve?"

 _Oh, do go on!_ Hojo's wicked heart beat with glee, as the nasty man hoped that Angeal would save him some trouble and tell him personal things about the new apprentice.

"What does he need to do to get better, in your opinion?" he asked, in a concerned, paternal tone of voice.

"Lots of things," Angeal sighed, hoping that an unflattering assessment would cause Hojo to leave the boy alone. "Gain some weight, build up some muscle…try to improve his reaction time…the list of things that he needs to do to improve himself is extremely long, and unfortunately there's only so much we can do, because the kid's weak, scrawny, uncoordinated and…well."

His eyes became slits as Professor Hojo listened attentively, still as enraptured as ever.

"If you want to know my honest opinion," he went on, "I'm not sure that he will be able to overcome some of his problems; I'd say that there's about a fifty-percent chance he passes, fifty-percent chance that he fails."

 _Oh no, he won't fail,_ the Professor callously cackled. _He'll get his heart's desire and you and your friends –_ he smiled dementedly, not knowing that Cloud hated him and had set events in motion that would destroy him – _will be at my mercy when he obtains personally damaging information for me._

 _I hope you're looking forward to it,_ Hojo happily thought, as Sephiroth came back inside.

"I am off to find CR," the general said.

"'CR'?" First Sergeant Hewley blinked. "Don't you mean…?"

The dark-haired 1st clamped his hand over his mouth as a light bulb went off in his head and he realized that Sephiroth was not referring to Genesis by his usual nickname, because the general did not want twisted Doctor Hojo to know whom he was talking about.

"I see," Angeal murmured. "I understand what you are trying to do, but I'm sure if you just –"

He covered his face with his hands, as despairing green eyes silently pleaded with him not to get in the way.

"Give me a call on your cell phone when you find him," Angeal murmured. "Let me know how it goes. "And while you're out –"

The black-haired man turned away, unable to meet Sephiroth's gaze.

"I'll be around," Angeal softly said, and he lowered his eyes and gazed at the floor, not wanting to look at someone who had triumph, pride and glee in their eyes. "Look for me here or the blood transfusion room," he added. "Wherever that is."

"Down the hall, third door on the right, and I'm sure we won't have trouble finding each other," the general icily replied, in a voice that was even frostier than the one that the Professor had used. "Unless your goal is to hide from me and make yourself scarce?" he accusingly added.

"Oh, no, I'm not trying to do that," Angeal said. "I don't hide from people."

"And neither do I," the general silently told First Sergeant Hewley, on his way out the door, "because hiding from people whom I am not on good terms with is not how I want to live my life."

His eyes narrowed as he heard someone get up and pad after him.

 _I would rather spend my days in the science lab, bonding with Professor Hojo, than give not-friends and not-fans that kind of power over me,_ he bitterly thought.

He came to a stop at the end of the hallway, and turned around to confront Tseng, who was calmly walking towards him with the cell phone that he had intentionally left behind held out in his slender hand.

"You forgot this," the Turk quietly said, "and from the look of it, someone is trying to get through to you."

 _They are?_ Sephiroth blinked.

"Fantastic. Just what I need. I always love to receive calls from people at this hour," the general dryly muttered. "Especially when I'm at the hospital and my colleague is in serious condition," he practically spat.

He took his cell phone from Tseng, looked at the screen and saw that he was being contacted by…

"Zackary?" Sephiroth boggled, right as the caller hung up.

 _I don't recall ever giving you my unlisted cell phone number,_ the general thought, as Tseng flipped open the PHS that he used to keep in touch with Rude and Cissnei, and scrolled through his list of missed calls. _How the hell did you get a hold of it,_ the silver-haired man wondered, as the dark-haired man tapped him on the arm and handed him the other phone, so that he could see that SOLDIER 1st Class Fair had tried to contact the Turks as well, and that the boy had tried to call them _five_ times within the past forty-five minutes.

Sephiroth sighed.

"I take it that you want to file a complaint?" he unhappily asked. "Five calls in under an hour is _unprofessional_ , irresponsible _–"_

" _Understandable_ behavior, considering the circumstances," Tseng interjected, fearing that the general would call SOLDIER 1st Class Fair back and ream the boy out while they were in the elevator. "I do not begrudge him for making annoying, panicky phone calls, in light of the fact that there's been a bad accident and, well…."

He reached for the cell phone, hoping that taking it away would make Sephiroth less tempted to tear Zack a new one.

"According to Cissnei," he sighed, "the people who saw the EMTs leave 'overreacted' and people are saying things like, 'Genesis fell through a window,' 'Angeal got electrocuted,' and…'The General's dead.'"

 _Are they now?_ Sephiroth rolled his eyes, spectacularly unimpressed that the situation had been exaggerated to epic levels, and chewing Zack Fair out was forgotten as the general turned to Tseng and sharply said, "I want you to have security cord-off the area where the accident took place, and I want _you_ to make it clear to people that spreading rumors and misinformation is unacceptable."

"Assign a computer savvy grunt, who is not going to mess up the company website, to moderate the mailing list, forums, and student profile pages," he snapped, forgetting that Tseng was part of a separate department and that he had no authority over him, "and if they find any comments about Genesis' accident, have them remove the offensive content and take it offline; until I get the chance to release a statement, explaining what happened, I want tightly controlled discussions. Understood?"

"Yes, I do, but…"

Tseng blinked, stunned that Sephiroth would advocate this position when the general had repeatedly told him that he was _not_ like President Shinra, who was always trying to restrict what people could read, and who was always trying to prevent people from expressing their opinions.

"I understand where you are coming from," the Turk reluctantly said, "and am not sure that I like the idea. I hesitate to assign someone to moderate the boards and the sites, because what you are proposing is censorship, and I find censorship to be distasteful and counterproductive."

 _Counterproductive? I disagree – it is an effective means of keeping people in line,_ Sephiroth quickly rejected Tseng's concerns, and he tilted his head so that the Turk would feel his scornful, righteous eyes bearing down upon him. _It has worked well for me in the past and I am very confident that it will work again,_ he silently informed the dark haired-man, and as he pushed open the door leading to the wing where Genesis was being kept, he unconsciously projected his dark, arrogant thoughts to Jenova, who quivered with delight in her septic tank hundreds of miles away, pleased to see that he was descending into madness.

"If censorship goes against _your_ morals," Sephiroth coldly continued, deciding to make this personal, because Tseng had questioned his judgment when _he_ was going through personal hell, "you don't have to do it, but Angeal and I would _like_ for you to do it, and –"

He smiled condescendingly at the uncomfortable man, and the sadistic smile that spread across his face was 100% Jenova, through and through.

"…I think that Genesis would appreciate it if you did it also," the damaged SOLDIER said, in a grave sounding voice, "because if misinformation gets spread and Board members start thinking poorly of him, his qualifications will be questioned, and the situation that he will find himself in will be as unpleasant as the situation that you were in when you were in danger of losing everything."

He paused, giving Tseng a moment to think about this.

"Sleep on it," the general said, "and after you have thought about it over night, let me know what you've decided in the morning?"

He sighed as hesitation appeared in Tseng's eyes.

 _Very well. Don't do it, I don't care,_ Sephiroth sighed, _I'm sure I will be able to find someone who is **willing** to censor the message boards and the forums, without too much difficulty._

 _It's not like I don't have computer savvy people at my disposal,_ he thought with a shrug. "Perhaps I should ask Zackary to moderate the website, instead," the general murmured, as he ran through the missed calls on his cell phone, and remembered that Zack had briefly been employed as an administrative assistant for the science department. "Do you think that would be a good idea, Tseng?" he wondered, not certain that the boy was competent enough to handle a computer without it exploding.

 _No, I don't,_ Tseng shook his head.

"He is too emotionally involved with the three of you," the dark-haired Turk explained, as Jenova withdrew from Sephiroth's head, deciding that it would be best to wait until her son was closer to Nibelheim before making her move. "It would be a bad situation for him to be in, because you're his boss, First Sergeant Hewley is his mentor and _friend,_ and it is no secret that he does not get along with Commander Rhapsodos and never shows good judgment when he is involved."

He held up his cell phone, selected one of the messages Zack had left, and hit the PLAYBACK button. "Choose someone who is not as close," he said. "Choose someone who is better at dealing with stress," he added, as he turned the volume up so that Sephiroth could hear SOLDIER 1st Class Fair say, "I need to know what Hollander and Hojo have been doing to you guys and if it's as messed up as people say it is."

' _Messed up as people say it is?' Has someone been gossiping to you about my relationship with Hojo?_ Sephiroth tensed, and Tseng quickly put his PHS on mute, fearing that if the general heard anymore of that that he would implode and punch a hole through the wall.

"As I said, too emotionally involved," the Turk sighed, "and honestly –"

His fingers closed around the general's cell phone as the 1st considered calling Zack back and demanding to know who the hell was spreading misinformation.

"Don't call him back," Tseng said. "Don't say anything to him tonight. Wait until tomorrow, then find out what is going on, and what's setting him off."

 _Wait?_ Sephiroth snorted. _You are telling me to wait?_

"Okay, I'll do that," he said, agreeing to stay his hand, and that was a good thing, because at that very moment SOLDIER 1st Class Fair was pouring through the documents that Cloud had removed from Aeris' safe and flipping out over the cruel experiments that had been performed on the three officers.

 _But when I have a spare moment,_ Sephiroth thought, _I plan on finding out who has been spreading rumors about me to Zack and suspending them for this shit. I'll see to it that they never make SOLDIER if they're a cadet and lose a week of pay if they're an employee,_ he bitterly vowed, as the Turk pushed open the door at the end of the hall, light from the brightly lit corridor spilled into the dim room, and SOLDIER 1st Class Genesis looked up at them through strained, puffy eyes.

"You could have called," the auburn-haired man whispered, in a weary, heavily medicated voice that lacked its characteristic arrogance. "…Could have let me know that you and the Turk were coming to visit so that I wouldn't have started to fall asleep, but whatever…"

He grit his teeth, as he rolled over on his side, and his shoulder throbbed, his face stung and the fractured ankle that he had refused to let Hojo treat caused his legs to ache.

"Sleep will come again soon enough," he murmured.

"Since you are tired, we won't stay long," Sephiroth grimly said.

He approached the bed and saw that Genesis had at least ten separate cuts spread out all over his exposed arms and face.

"I just wanted to see you," he added, in a wavering voice.

 _Good gods!_ The general recoiled when he saw that the area under his friend's eyes was yellow and that there were purple welts on Genesis' arms from where the surgeons had bruised the skin with their needles. _And who the hell licensed these people to become doctors,_ he wondered.

GR sensed what he was thinking, and witheringly pointed to a folder that had been left beside the bed for him to peruse.

"What is this?" Sephiroth asked, with dread, picking up the folder. "Your prescription?"

"No, a present from my new doctor," Genesis humorlessly said. "An extra special gift that he thought that he needed to leave for me to cheer me up," he shivered, as he gazed at the strong, powerful pale hand that was reaching out to touch his raw, meat processed fingers. "The ironic thing is, it didn't work!"

He lowered his eyes and looked away, as the sight of the general's hand next to his own made him realize that his injuries would prevent him from summoning fireballs or effectively wielding a sword for at least two weeks.

"Pictures of broken bones and a little something that he found stuck on the collar of my coat," he bitterly laughed, as X-rays and a baggie containing a long, downy black feather spilled out onto the food cart beside his bed. "The images are to convince me to get an operation to repair the badly fractured bone in my leg and that plastic-wrapped piece of shit is supposed to make me feel good about my body."

 _What do you mean?_ Sephiroth's eyes filled with rage. "What was he trying to imply when he said that you should 'feel good about your body," the confused general snarled.

Genesis closed his eyes and turned away, not wanting to look at the depressing X-rays. "I don't know what he meant," he miserably said. "It was stupid and weird; he told me that he found DNA from my body in one of the Black Flurry feathers that he pulled off my clothes, and then started going on about how this was such an 'interesting find.'"

He reached under his covers, fumbling for the hydrocone that he had asked Hojo to prescribe for him.

"Started babbling about how I should 'feel good about my body if this goes anywhere,' and made some assholeish comment about how I would be worth a lot to the company if I made some big breakthrough."

His tender hands closed around the prescription pill bottle and he shifted about so that the medication would roll under his pillow and be easy to find later on when he needed it.

"Called me his 'six million gil investment,' then left. It was…"

"Typical asinine Hojo behavior," Sephiroth finished for his friend, and Genesis gave him a small smile, and gazed witheringly at the late night news playing in the background on the TV. "Although he seems worse than usual tonight with the crap that he has done to you and the stunt that he pulled with me in the waiting room," he went on, darkly.

 _That bad, eh?_ The general felt Genesis's fingers give his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm sorry that you had to deal with Hojo and his shit tonight," GR apologized. "I know that it had to have been an unpleasant experience for you," he murmured, "and –"

His eyes sparkled mischievously, with a dim, subdued glow, as he tried to pull himself together and light up the room with some of his old fire.

"- I suggest that we use Good Old Doc for target practice next time Director Lazard requires us to go in for marksmanship training," he said, with forced enthusiasm - too weak and too emotionally drained to have the strength or the energy to crack jokes about killing Hojo. "What do…you…say?"

"I say sure, why not?" Sephiroth dryly chuckled, as Tseng glared at them, and covered his ears with his hands so that he would not be forced to listen to "treasonous comments." "That's the best idea that I've heard…all…"

His voice trailed off, as the sickly SOLDIER realized that they could no longer maintain their calm, unaffected façade, and pulled away from him – blue irises filling with despair, pink lips parting in denial.

"I think we should leave and give Commander Rhapsodos some time to himself," Sephiroth uneasily said. "He looks tired, hungry, and I'm sure that he wants to read his favorite book in peace," he added.

"Want me to get _LOVELESS_ for you?" the general asked the quivering redhead, and he felt like slamming his fist through the wall when he realized that Genesis' personal belongings had been left behind in the simulation room, and were probably sitting in Turk quarters now.

 _I am assuming that they do not sell copies of_ LOVELESS _in the gift shop,_ Sephiroth sighed. _Not good. I really need something to get his mind off what happened or he is going to dwell on it and be in for a long, miserable night,_ the general frantically thought, _and I highly doubt that reading the phone book or watching a cooking show on TV is going to make him feel better._

"Make me a promise," he heard Genesis rasp.

"Yes?" he heard Tseng ask, and his heart sank when he looked up and saw that GR was red-faced and puffy-eyed.

 _Shit_ , the general shuddered, mistakenly assuming that his officer was on the verge of tears when in actuality antibiotics were irritating Genesis' eyes and causing them to swell up. _He's trying not to cry…_

 _And I'm trying not to let him affect me,_ Sephiroth flinched.

He quickly looked away, fearful that the other man's tears would send him over the edge, and cause him to show emotions that would undermine the image of confidence and power that he was supposed to represent at all times.

 _I wish that I could do more to comfort him, but…I cannot afford to show any weakness at a hospital that Hojo works at,_ the silver-haired man told himself. _If there is anything I can do for him, though,_ the general vowed, _that would make his stay at the hospital more comfortable and enjoyable for him, I would be more than happy to –_

 _Damn, I'm glad I did not say that out loud,_ the swordsman shuddered, as Genesis pulled himself together, gave Tseng a weak, artificial smile and said, "I want you to promise me that you will bring me a _decent_ set of clothes – name brand, well-made, top notch – for me to wear while I'm in the hospital. And before you retire for the night, I would like you to stop by the office and pick up my laptop, so I can download _LOVELESS_ off an e-book site and enjoy it in the comfort of this nice little four star hotel room."

He grinned devilishly as he thought of other things that he would like to make himself feel at home in hell.

"Banora whites…cell phone…comfortable pillows…Angeal's home cooking and my sick leave check please," the redheaded man said, and Sephiroth forced himself to smile at this outrageous list of demands, wanting badly to believe that everything was fine, and that Genesis was going to be well.

"Sure thing," he replied, not knowing that this was the beginning of the end. "I can do that," he promised, fingers fluttering over the withered, degrading black feather on the table.


	26. Zack's Decision

**Chapter Twenty-Six - Zack's Decision**

_Midgar - εуλ 0000_

"Hey, old friend, welcome back." Cloud Strife cheerfully said, gazing at the powerful, elaborately constructed sword that he had stayed up all night fixing. "Easy does it, Cloud," he whispered. "Don't mess the finishing touches up. Just –"

 _Damn it,_ he mentally swore, as the sound of someone knocking on his door broke his concentration.

"Reno, what do you want now?" Cloud growled, assuming that the Turk wannabe had snuck out of his dorm again to ask him for last minute help with a homework assignment "I'm not going to let you copy my answers. Or do your work for you. Or let you inside. You'll have to come back when I'm more awake," he grumbled.

He rose to his feet...

...opened the door and...

...found himself staring into the deep blue eyes of…

 _SOLDIER 1st Class Fair..._ Cloud felt his stomach compress and push up into his ribs, as the officer stepped into the room, in _full uniform,_ with a stern "I mean business" look on his face.

" _Zack,_ I can explain," the blond-haired boy choked. "I want you to know that –"

… _That you are sorry for turning my entire world upside down?_ Zack wondered. _That you feel bad that you put me through an entire night of worrying and WTF?_

 _I don't want to hear "I'm sorries," chocobo-head,_ the 1st thought, _because there are something’s that you just shouldn't waste your breath trying to apologize for, and this is one of them._ _Instead of telling me that you regret what you've done, just…just…sit down with me and tell me where you would like to take things from here,_ SOLDIER 1st Class Fair pleaded with his feather-headed companion.

 _You have…nothing to be sorry for,_ Zack silently informed his _friend,_ right before he reached out, cupped Cloud's chin with his hand and guided it up, so that the smaller boy would be forced to look directly at him. _Absolutely nothing._ "You did the right thing, Spike, by coming to me when you learned about this shit," he gently said, "and I want you to know that I'm _not_ mad at you for doing that. No one should ever be punished for turning to a trusted person for help when they find themselves in an ugly situation that's beyond their control," he firmly added with intense conviction, "and I'd be a bad friend and a bad 1st if I got upset at you for that, but…"

He cast about the room, hoping that there was aspirin in the mess, as he felt the migraine of the century coming on.

"…I can't say I'm too thrilled about the situation," he went on, "and I really, really don't like that I was next in line for the special Hollander and Hojo treatment."

 _What do you mean?_ Cloud's heart sank. "Are you saying…?"

"That I got used as a test subject?" Zack grimaced.

He held out a binder that he had brought with him and flipped to a passage that he had printed out from his own medical file.

"Yeah, you could say that. Or you could just call it good old tender loving care from the gruesome twosome," he growled, placing one of the letters that had come from Aeris' safe next to the first page, so that his friend would see that the wording in both documents was…

" _Identical,"_ Cloud gasped.

"Yeah, they're identical," Zack stiffened, "and when I started thinking, 'Hmm, the wording in this letter sounds familiar…I think I've read something like this before in my medical records…' I decided to take your story seriously and use a password I'm not supposed to have to log into Hollander's network and look at my records."

"Did some looking around," he continued in a resigned voice, "read a few docs that confirmed most of the things in your letters, and found this rant from _Hellander_ , and you won't believe how pissed he was that Hojo had removed tissue samples from my throat during a recent operation, and tested them to prove that I was 'unworthy of carrying on Angeal's legacy.'"

 _Is that all he did to you while you were having surgery?_ Cloud cringed. "Please don't tell me that he put crap in you while he was doing this?" he faltered. "Please don't say that he injected you with his…"

He trailed off, not wanting to consider the possibility that Hojo might have exposed Zack to Jenova cells to see if the other boy was fit 'to carry on Angeal's legacy.'

"How much damage do you think he did to you?" he gathered up the courage to ask. "Have you been feeling sick ever since…you know?"

 _N-no, I have not,_ Zack trembled under the weight of the unknown. _I-I have been feeling just fine,_ he told himself. _Absolutely nothing wrong here,_ he shuddered, and placed a reassuring hand on Cloud's shoulder. He flashed the shorter boy a big, bright artificial smile that belied how churned up he felt inside, and cheerfully said, "Heya, Spiky. Let's not sweat it, ok? There are other things to think about?"

 _Yeah, there are, but –_ "This is _your_ health we're talking about here," Cloud persisted, "and Jenova cells are serious business. Those cells make you really strong, but you pay a huge price for it, and I'm sure that cell damage, body failure and emotional instability aren't things that you want to experience at twenty-three."

 _Twenty-three?_ Zack blinked.

"Umm sorry, eighteen…I mean," the blond corrected himself. "Not twenty-three," he self-deprecatingly said, flipping to the letter that Professor Gast had sent Hollander and Hojo, when the man had learned that Jenova was not an Ancient, "and I think you should re-read this one, because –"

He pointed to a passage where Gast was pleading with Hojo, begging him to get the three boys tested and assign a responsible doctor to monitor their health for the remainder of their lives.

"He really is worried about there being long-term, damaging side effects," Cloud murmured, while Zack read that _'I have evidence from a reliable source that Jenova cells kill off healthy cells and mutate their host's organs. Over time, they…'_

 _Huh?_ Zack knit his brows and examined the date on the letterhead. _How can he claim that he knows what the "long-term side effects" are going to be when this letter is written only a few years after Sephiroth and Angeal have been born?_

_Oh – duh._

A light bulb went off in his head as he remembered that Gast had been interviewing Ifalna, at that point, and that she had told him everything that she knew about the "Jenova virus."

 _She must have been the 'source' he is referring to,_ the 1st concluded.

He picked up the interview tape that had come with the bundle of letters, and wished that he had listened to it all the way through, instead of turning it off when Ifalna had started to talk about finding the diseased, mutated bodies of people whom "the Calamity" had killed during her wanderings.

 _Damn nice source, too,_ he marveled, reverently gazing at a photo of the dead woman. "She looks like she was an incredible lady," he said. "It's a shame that there are no longer any Ancients among –"

Cloud pulled out his sketchbook and flipped to a picture that he had drawn of Aeris.

"Spike...I don't understand why you are showing me this. Are you...trying to say that you were trying to portray the Gainsborough girl as an Ancient?" Zack guessed.

"Yeah, I can kind of see that with the flowers and the plants that you drew around her," he agreed. "You made her fit in perfectly with the natural world and look like a protector of nature," he distantly said, as the evocative drawing caused the fog that the Planet had placed over his eyes to lift, and he fleetingly pictured strong, feminine arms closing around his neck and gently rocking him as he sat on the floor of the Church and poured out his heart to the gods; perky green eyes laughing at him as he strolled through the narrow, mud-caked alleyways and cracked jokes about his adventures in SOLDIER; and _Her_ melodic, ethereal voice making him feel warm all over and filling him with good feeling.

"If anyone should be an Ancient –" his voice trembled, as he subconsciously remembered her hands fluttering across his face and people surging around the flower cart that they had built together. " – It should be her," he nervously laughed, dismissing these memories from his past life as some _stupid,_ testosterone-filled fantasy that he was having about her.

"Nice idea, Spike," he started to say, but the words never left his lips, for Cloud placed the photograph of Ifalna next to the drawing of Aeris and the resemblance between the two was…

 _Holy shit, incredible!_ Zack gaped at the two pictures. _They look exactly alike,_ he thought with awe and amazement. _I almost feel as if I'm looking at…_ "Mother and daughter?" he whispered with disbelief. "Ancients –"

He turned to Cloud with wild-eyes, as he recalled what he had read about Ifalna Faremis' death in the company library.

"But if she is alive…that means the reports were false then…" His shoulders shook and his eyes filled with horror. "…And Hojo lied in his statement to the police about Ifalna going ballistic at the train station and screaming about taking her daughter's life. He –"

"He _murdered_ her," Cloud snapped, "and then told the police that she was going ape shit on people and that he had to kill her in self-defense. She paid the ultimate price, because –"

"He wanted to do messed up things to her daughter and shut her up before she spilled the beans about the Jenova cells," Zack bleakly finished. "Because if he had let her live, she would have shown these letters to people, led them to the mutated bodies, and… there would have been a big investigation…and he would have lost his medical license and his millions once everyone found out that he was injecting Jenova cells into…"

He lowered his eyes, mouthed the word "Angeal," and pressed his head against the wall, wishing that he could wake up from this… _this nightmare_.

But unfortunately…

 _None of us can wake up from this nightmare,_ Zack shivered, _because this is **no** dream and…_a _ll this crap is just gonna keep repeating itself, until someone does something and removes Hojo and his friends from power._

 _But who,_ he forlornly wondered, certain now that the President, his confidants and Director Lazard were protecting Hojo, _would have the courage to stand up to those bastards? I can't think of anyone in the organization who would be willing to put their career on the line, endure scorn and harassment…and risk their lives to expose the truth?_

 _No one,_ he snarled to himself, _because they're all cowards!_

_But…_

_I'm…not a coward,_ Zack thought with wild desperation, _and I don't think Spike is a coward either._

 _Nope, definitely not a coward,_ Zack grimaced as Genesis' protégée urged him to use his computer skills and his security clearances to obtain information that would "bring Shinra to their knees" and "ensure that this never happens again." _It's awfully hard to be a coward when you're urging your best friend to commit treason,_ he sighed, as he removed the employee ID card that he had proudly worn at training camp, and shakily said, "Yea, you're right, Cloud. There're a lot of bad things going on, and…they need to..."

_-We need to-_

"We need to...stop them," he raggedly said, all strength gone from his voice.

He flung his arms around Cloud's sweaty, heaving shoulders, swept the younger boy up and hugged him for all he was worth.

"I'm here for ya, Cloudy," he choked, "and I _swear_ to you that we're going to take names, find out what Hojo's up to, and cause hell."

"We'll find all the files that Hojo has on the Jenova cells… take the documents that he has on our friends and coworkers, and slip Sephiroth and Angeal the paperwork," he solemnly said, feeling that it was imperative that they involve the other 1sts, because he doubted that he would be able to keep his defenseless, untrained friend out of harm's way if the Professor sent his goons after them and they were doing this all by their lonesome. "Make sure that they read everything, let the general take charge of the situation, and do everything that the officers tell us to do while the investigation is going on, and Hojo is being hunted down. Then, once he's in custody, and the Jenova cells have been destroyed…we can..."

"....."

"Is something wrong, Spike?" he wanted to know, and Cloud nodded, for he had _big problems_ with this plan.

"Yeah, Zack, it is. You have a good idea, but I _don't_ want to involve the officers until we know how they're going to react," the young warrior sadly said, "because Ifalna says in the interview that she doesn't know how to treat people who have Jenova in their bodies, and if we go to them, telling them that they're sick before a cure is found…"

He paused, giving Zack a moment to consider the terrible consequences of his decision.

"Can you understand where I'm coming from? What I am trying to prevent?" the blond sighed.

 _Yeah, Cloud, I can see why you're worried,_ Zack silently conceded. _The news is going to be extremely upsetting for them, and while Angeal doesn't strike me as the type who'd fly off the handle and do something violent I wouldn't put it past the other two not to freak out and do something extreme. But -_

"...If you don't want to go to the officers, then who do you recommend we go to instead?" SOLDIER 1st Class Fair wondered. "We need -"

"I can fight, if it comes to it," Strife cut him off, and Zack rolled his eyes when he heard his friend propose this, because he hadn't seen, heard or been told anything that made him believe that Cloud would stand a chance if they got into a shootout with Hojo's fan club. "I know what I'm doing and I've been training with the best of the best; that should count for something, right?"

 _The best of the best?_ Zack blinked.

And then he remembered…

"Oh yes, Genesis," the black-haired man said with some resentment, even though tonight's revelations had made him feel extremely sorry for the asinine 1st. "Yeah, I hear ya, and agree that he's a great teacher and that you've probably learned a lot from him, but seriously, Cloud…you have no mako in your body. Limited formal training. And you don't have any weapons that you can effectively use in the state that you are in, if you know what I mean. You…"

 _You have got to be kidding me._ Zack felt his jaw dropped as Cloud handed him the materia orb housing the Odin Summon. And it dropped even further when his friend directed his attention to a box that contained five…

"Phoenix feather downs?! I can't believe this; sheesh, Cloud, you're really packing some heat with that little guy, and every 1st wishes that he had this many downs to take with him into battle. How the _hell_ did you get these things?"

"Gifts from Aeris," Cloud vaguely said. "She gave me the Summon and slipped the Phoenix feather downs into my blade as a surprise, but…Zack…I wouldn't be using Odin unless it was a real emergency. You see…I'd be fighting with my First Sword and…I would be kicking butt and teaching them a thing or two," he hissed through gritted teeth, and reached for his beloved weapon.

 _No shit?_ Zack looked at him like he was crazy.

 _No shit,_ Cloud grimaced. "I'm ready to fight," he cheerlessly announced, as he...

…picked up the priceless weapon…

…and heaved the heavy blade over his shoulders.

"I can lift my sword…" he calmly said, as Zack gasped, stunned that he had just executed the technique so smoothly. "…Swing my sword…" he exclaimed, flipping the blade over so that the sharp end pointed skywards and the flat side rested against his skin. "…Attack with my sword…" he murmured, thrusting the blade backwards, so that the tip of First Tsurugi barreled down upon Zack. "…And defend myself with my sword," he confidently informed his friend, as SOLDIER 1st Class Fair unsheathed his weapon and blocked his blow.

"And while I may not be able to fight for as long as you can," Cloud rasped, when their blades locked together and Zack slammed against him, "I can still go a very long time and dish out the hurt and keep them from coming," he groaned.

 _Give me a chance to fight,_ Cloud silently pleaded with his friend. _Believe in me,_ he called out to the other boy.

"You shouldn't underestimate a 'lightweight,'" he strained. "They really are –"

"Full of surprises," Zack replied, and he broke the sword lock. "That was...pretty impressive."

 _You clearly have some experience with oversized weapons,_ he mused, _and it looked to me like you knew how to compensate for not having the muscle to wield a big ass sword like that. But you're still at a major disadvantage, 'cos you don't have any enhancements, and if Hojo stirs up the Turks, things will really go badly for you, because you're no match for Tseng and his marksmen._

_Soooo…_

_At this point, I'm thinking the best thing for you to do would be to gather information and observe people,_ Zack sighed to himself, deciding that it would be unconscionable for him to allow his buddy to do anything that could be traced back to him when the odds were stacked against him. _Find out if Hollander and Hojo are doing anything suspicious, keep an eye on the officers to make sure they're not getting sick, and be ready to get Ms. Gainsborough out of Midgar if the doctors from hell realize that there's an Ancient in town,_ he wearily thought, hoping that his featherheaded companion would see that it was necessary for him to be the behind the scenes tactician and accept his role. _Keep your nose to the ground, stay out of sight, and act like you have no clue what's going on while I do all the dirty work and incur peoples' wrath._

 _Let me be the person they want to toss into the Lifestream,_ he pleaded with his friend, as he turned to Cloud and said, "Ok, how does this sound for starters? _I'll_ try to break into Hojo's computer tonight, and… _you_ try to obtain a few schedules and transcribe the audio tapes for _me_?"

"Eh?" Cloud arched his eyebrows, surprised that there was an edge to the 1st's voice. "You want me to do _what?_ Obtain copies of…?"

"Hojo and Hollander's schedules," Zack softened his tone. _"We'll_ need them, so we'll know that they're not sitting by their computers when I start launching attacks on their databases and downloading their encrypted files. Last thing we'd want, after all, is for ole Hojo to look up and see the information parading on by, and strutting out the door. That would kinda throw a loop in our plans, no?" he murmured.

"Yeah, it would," Cloud replied. "We don't want...hey, Zack, when you hack into Hojo's computer tonight, can you look up _'how to **kill** Jenova?'_ I want to make that _our #1 priority_ , so that we know what we're up against when we go after the Calamity in Nibelheim."

"Umm sure, Spike," Zack blinked, "I can do that, but…I'm not really sure what you want me to look for when we could put Jenova beyond the science department's reach by tossing their stockpile into the reactor."

 _I beg your pardon?_ Cloud gaped at him. _Are you saying that…_

He shook his head, as it became apparent to him that his friend was convinced that Jenova was a microorganism being cultured in a petri dish, and not a big, ugly alien-bitch being kept in stasis in a little backwater town.

 _I guess you took Ifalna literally when she referred to Jenova as a "virus,"_ he sighed, and padded across the room to his desk. There, he opened the side drawer, and pulled out a document that Zack had not seen.

"You'll want to read this lab report when you have the chance," he said. "It contains a lot of information on the horror we're dealing with, and – oh look, here's a very creepy picture of Professor Hojo and Professor Gast posing with Jenova. And from the look of it, Hojo thinks that she is the hottest thing ever and is getting ready to give her the Most Congeniality award," he sarcastically added, as Zack gazed at the photo and went, _"You've got to be shitting me! That ugly-looking thing in the tube is Jenova?"_

 _I thought she was a nasty little parasite,_ Zack frowned. _Not a naked, slutty blue chick with bad skin, freaky white hair and coral sticking to her body!_

"Good gods," he muttered. "Can this get any weirder? I suppose you're going to tell me that this _thing_ walks, talks and gets out of its tank next, and isn't some cryogenically preserved corpse?"

 _Urgh! Disgusting!_ Zack shuddered. He turned to Cloud and unhappily said, "I take back what I said about dumping viruses down the reactor, and will see what information I can dig up tonight on Hojo's ugly girlfriend and the diseases festering in her body; if we're lucky, I'll have several disks full of information to give you tomorrow. And if we're unlucky we'll have to look a little harder."

"Is there anything else that you want me to look up while I'm going through the files on the bitch?" he asked. "Should I see if that thing is cognizant enough to fight back?"

 _Yeah, do that,_ Cloud distractedly nodded, his eyes fixed on the Turks milling about in the parking lot beneath his window. "See what you can find out about her attacks," he murmured, “and…"

His eyes widened as Sephiroth and Angeal got out of a car and went over to speak with Tseng.

"Did you know that First Sergeant and the general are up at this hour and that they just got invited to the Turk party in the lot?" he asked. "They're not usually up at 3 AM in the morning, are they?"

"No, not usually," Zack replied, his voice suddenly weary, "but I'm not surprised that they're up at this hour with the accident and all."

 _Accident?_ Cloud was taken aback.

"Yeah," Zack sighed, wishing that he had pressed Cissnei for names and specific details when she had leaped up from the pavilion and abruptly told him that she had "to go, boss needs me to take people to the ER." "According to Security, one of the SOLDIERs was assing off, brought glass down on their head, bled all over the place and it was a real mess."

He frowned as the light streaming forth from Cloud's bedroom window attracted Sephiroth's attention and caused the swordsman to look up at their floor.

"And according to peeps on the street…a grief-stricken employee decided to jump out the window, but failed to make it all the way through and gutted themselves," he solemnly said. "They survived the attempt, the EMTs were called and it was –"

He tensed up as his eyes met Sephiroth's and the general gave him a glare from hell.

 _Shit!_ Zack backed away from the window and quickly pulled down the blinds. _He doesn't seem happy!_

"I, uh, would recommend that we don't spy on him and let him go about his own business," Zack quickly said. "He's giving us 'the Look,' which means he's pissed off about something, and seeing as how he's been up all night dealing with liability issues and distraught family members, I'd expect any run-ins with him this morning are gonna be pretty awful. Much worse than your run-in with him, if you know what I –"

His cheeks turned bright red, as he realized that he had not helped matters by overreacting and leaving obnoxious, panicky messages on Sephiroth's cell phone.

"I am so dead," he murmured.

 _Sephiroth's gonna chew me up and spit me out,_ he cringed.

"I'm sure that whatever happened will be quickly forgotten about," Cloud said, assuming that he had done something simple, such as forget to sign out when he had checked out of work for the day. "Everyone thinks that you're a great SOLDIER and they're not going to dwell on minor little mistakes that you made and hold them against you," he tried to reassure Zack. "You'll be fine!"

 _Will I now?_ Zack silently asked his friend. _You would think differently, Cloud, if you knew that I asked Sephiroth about his relationship with his doctor, told him that I was worried about the treatments Hojo's been giving him, and requested permission to look up restricted files on the **Jenova virus.**_

 _I really messed this one up big time,_ he chastised himself. He collapsed in the swivel chair in the corner of the room and said, "This wasn't a minor thing. This was _bad._ "

"That bad, eh?" Cloud dubiously wondered. "Like how bad? Are we talking Kevin-levels of bad?"

He made a wry face as Zack shook his head.

"Reno-levels then?" he inquired, beginning to have a really bad feeling about this.

"No, Genesis douche bag levels of ashtray _,"_ Zack groaned. "I called Sephiroth while he was cleaning up the mess at the hospital and I left some pretty bad messages on his voice mail! And when he listens to them, he's going to blow his top, and is going to ask _Questions."_

He turned away as Cloud demanded to know what kinds of questions he had asked in a very low, very uncomfortable sounding voice.

"You asked about his personal life, didn't you?" the young cadet accusingly said. "You mentioned some of the things in these reports and told him that you needed him to confirm a few details…and you…Zack, how could you?!"

~*************~

Cloud trailed off and covered his face with his hands, as he closed his eyes, drew in his breath and pulled himself together.

 _Getting upset with Zack about this is not going to solve anything and is just going to be counterproductive,_ he counseled himself. _You made the mistake of not making it **explicitly** clear to him, when he was being distracted by the Turks, that he was to come to you first and not seek out the victims_. _You have no one to blame except for yourself,_ he mused, battle-hardened eyes flashing with resolve, _and now you have some mucking up to do…._

 _Let's see what we can do to keep damage to a minimum,_ he thought. _I have a few ideas,_ he silently reassured his emotionally drained friend, _and I'm pretty sure that they'll work…_

… _provided that you don't care what people think about you,_ Cloud winced.

"I need to know if you still go clubbing and drinking with your adult friends," he explained, "or it'll seem out of character and fishy when you tell the general and Angeal that –"

He rolled his eyes as Zack realized where he was going with this and mouthed the words "hell no."

"Look," Cloud sternly said, "I know that you don't want to do this, 'cos Sephiroth hates people who party and comes down on them hard, but…we're in a _mess_ here, and if he doesn't think that you were drunk out of your mind when you made those phone calls, he's going to start poking around asking questions and going medieval on peoples' asses, and you know how good he is about wringing answers out of people when he starts giving them the verbal beat down and using his torture tools. You really..."

"You really have a lot of nerve to suggest that I tell people that I got sloshed, you know that, don't you?" Zack growled. "However...!"

The young 1st sighed. He realized that Cloud was right, and that he was going to have to debase himself in order to avert a crisis.

"I guess I can call into work and lie and say that I was drunk as a skunk," Zack wrung his hands in exasperation. "And lie and say that I was so out of it I couldn't remember the names of the people I'd been partying with."

"Yeah, do that," Cloud said. "But I think that you should also tell Sephiroth that you were so drunk that you needed to be _escorted_ to a friend's dorm, cause otherwise –"

"He'll wonder what I was doing in your room at three in the morning," Zack groaned. "And we wouldn't want him to think that you were supplying me with the alcohol," he added, with a tinge of bitterness in his voice, as it occurred to him that his little buddy was going to come out looking like a _savior to drunks_ and socially irresponsible people, "or you would either be expelled from school or end up spending detention with him, and gods, Cloud, when he is doing detentions he is brutal!"

 _Really? Who knew the general had so much time on his hands,_ Cloud snorted to himself, certain that Mr. Fair was pulling his leg. "That's umm, really interesting," he dismissively said, unaware that his seriously injured mentor had made arrangements for him to serve his final detention with Sephiroth, and that the general was looking forward to interrogating him about Zack and all the weird telephone calls. "I'll remember your warning next time Reno suggests that we sneak through a restricted staff entrance or I start feeling the urge to skip out on _Hojo: Building a Bright Future_ or _The Vision of Scarlet,"_ he added.

 _Yes, they actually have lectures on Hojo and Scarlet,_ Cloud groaned. _And yes, I actually have been forced to attend those lectures and participate in class discussions about their work,_ he sighed, while he wrote down some names and numbers for his co-conspirator, _but I don't want to think about that when we have a bitch to kill, three 1sts to save, top-secret computers to hack into and…_

… _Allies in Nibelheim who should have contacted me by now_ , Cloud grimaced.

"Please see if you can find any information on Vincent Valentine while you are infiltrating the computers," the young swordsman distractedly said. "I thought that he was being held in the Shinra Mansion basement, but perhaps I was wrong, and he is being kept someplace else," he continued, as he added the words " _Gunman. Potential ally. Shape-shifting guy with demons in his head…"_ next to Vincent's name.

 _For all we know, he could be in a jail cell upstairs in the science lab,_ he shrugged, right before he handed the Stick It Note to Zack.

"Can you read what I wrote?" he worriedly asked. "If you can't make out what I put down, then –"

"Don't worry, you're fine," SOLDIER 1st Class Fair cut him off. "I can read what it says…and, Cloud –"

He shook his head, deciding that he would have a better time coping with the fact that Cloud wanted to recruit a guy who heard "demons in his head" in the afternoon when he was fresh.

"I think I better go home, fire off an e-mail to Sephiroth letting him know that I'm too hung over to work today, and crash, or I'm gonna pass out at the computer when I start hacking Hojo's files and get caught in the act; sound good?"

 _Yeah, that sounds good,_ Cloud nodded. "I should get some sleep also," he yawned, "'cause I have a test today and Genesis promised that he was going to push me to my limit and make me 'regret' that I had ever asked him for help customizing my big sword. If I'm not well-rested, I am going to get my ass kicked!"

 _Correction: he is gonna get his ass kicked by you,_ Zack disagreed. _You may not be the strongest, most athletic cadet we've ever had, but you are one of the smartest, most determined…and you know what you are doing,_ the 1st thought, _so Good Old GR better watch out, because you're going to show him a thing or two today!_

"Mop the floor with him," Zack grinned devilishly. "Make him take back all the stupid comments he's made about oversized swords and…you should make a bet with him, and tell him that the loser has to do several hundred crunches when they lose, and then when you kick his tail, hold him to his word."

 _Zack!_ Cloud was appalled. "You shouldn't say such things about Genesis," he frowned, on their way out the door. "Try to be a little nicer to him. We're dealing with sick people, remember?"

 _Yeah, you're right, I shouldn't have said that,_ Zack looked abashed. _From now on I'll try to be part of the solution and do what I can to make life easier for the others._

"I'll try to behave, Cloud," he said, and was rewarded with a big smile, "and be nice to the sick people."

"Thanks, Zack," the young swordsman replied, "I appreciate it – but umm…"

The blond froze as the door at the end of the hall flew open…

…and Tseng emerged, sent by Angeal to tell Zack that they would need him to work overtime while Genesis was sick.

"Ummm...."

Cloud stiffened – as it occurred to him that Zack's "story" would carry no weight with Sephiroth if word got back to the general that Fair had seemed "cognizant and coherent" when one of his co-workers had run into him.

"I – I…uh Zack, I think that I should mosey on back to your room with you," Strife nervously said as the person whom he had claimed to be on good terms with folded his arms and began to size him up – neither liking him, nor recognizing him. "You look like you could use some help getting upstairs…and don't tell me that you're fine when you've had _four full glasses of wine_ tonight," he hastily added, hoping that his friend would have enough sense to play along. "That's really pushing it."

"Yah, that is pushing it. Four glasses would make me in-toxy-cated, eh?" Zack forced himself to mumble. "So intoxicated I'd be on the verge of passing out?" he groaned. "Or fall on my back trying to…go…up the stairs?" he rambled.

"Yes, you could end up falling on your back," Cloud cautioned his friend, wincing as Tseng got out his cell phone and began to scroll through the picture-taking options on his phone's screen. "Or worse. Has it occurred to you that you could end up hitting your head and braining yourself or falling on your sword and skewering yourself?"

Cloud flinched and raised his arm to block Tseng's view as white light from the flash blinded them.

"You really are asking for a direct flight _back_ to the Lifestream," he anxiously said.

He grabbed Zack by the arms and started to drag him towards the stairwell doors, all the way saying, "And I'm sure you don't want to end back up there –"

"Are you sure _you_ aren't drunk, Spike?" Zack teasingly asked him. "I'm beginning to think you are," he awkwardly cackled, "with some of the crazy things that you are saying about the Lifestream; perhaps you should just _chillax?_ "

 _Chillax?_ Cloud boggled. "What the hell does that mean?" the young cadet demanded to know. "Is it some slangy way of saying that I'm too uptight and that I need a chill pill?"

 _Basically, yeah,_ Zack smiled. "It's a combination of 'chill' and 'relax.' Chillax."

Cloud just stared.

 _Um, okay, if you say so,_ Strife shrugged, feeling very out of place with "teenage slang" being thrown at him. "I'll try to _relax_ , _"_ he told Zack. "But only if you promise me that you will quit with the hair terrorism?"

 _Hair terrorism? What the hell?!_ Zack blinked. "I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that word," he said. "What does it –"

"Stomping on, flattening, soaking or tangling my hair," Cloud laughed. "That is hair terrorism."

"Really? No shit," Zack grinned, as they rounded the corner and vanished from the suspicious Turk's view. "What will you think of next, you little squirt?"


	27. Angeal

**Chapter Twenty-Seven - Angeal**

_Midgar - εуλ 0000_

Cloud folded his arms and gazed anxiously at the clock on the wall, wishing that he had double-checked his course schedule after he and Zack had parted ways at 4 in the morning. It pissed him off that he had been too tired to catch that he had been shuffled into the _Combat Materia for Beginners_ seminar by the Registrar, and irritated him to no end that his oversight had resulted in him spending five hours of hell sitting in a cramped, musty-smelling lecture hall with a crazy instructor, who believed that the best way to teach students about materia was to take them back to basics. As the annoying teacher paraded around the room, he rolled his eyes and wondered how Registration could have been, as Reno perfectly put it, "so full of fail."

"It's hard to believe they put us in this class," he remarked. "This is –"

" _Gay?"_ Reno unhelpfully offered. "Yeah, it is," he scowled. "This is the most gay ass course I've ever been in, yo," he added, holding up the business card that Tseng had given him when he had shown up at Turk headquarters, looking for Cissnei, "and from now on, I'm not gonna put up with this _shit_ no more, dude."

He grinned impishly, hoping that the profane language that he was using would get under the instructor's skin and piss him off.

"When that bell rings, something very big is gonna happen; care to guess what it is?"

"No, not really. Not interested."

"Oh? You don't say?" Reno swiveled around in his chair and smacked Cloud on the shoulder, hoping that he would get a reaction out of his "friend," but to his disappointment, Strife fell silent and averted his eyes, deciding that it would be best to give the loud redhead the silent treatment when he was being so obnoxious.

 _I'm sorry that I'm not paying attention to you,_ Cloud insincerely apologized, _but I'd rather not be pegged as someone who's encouraging you to misbehave and end up in detention again._

He arched his eyebrows as the teacher began to call out the names of the students who were getting sent to study hall.

 _I've been there, done that_ , _and it's been excruciati…_

"You've got to be kidding me," he muttered under his breath when he heard his name called. "Not _again."_

 _This is gonna look really bad if this goes on my record,_ he shuddered, assuming that the instructor wanted to punish him. _Especially with the entrance exams less than two weeks away._

 _Perhaps I can convince him to be lenient?_ Cloud thought, as his nemesis, Kevin Gillett, leaned across the aisle and cheerfully told him that, "Seeing you get it _brightens_ my day and puts a smile on my face; there's nothing that I enjoy more than you watching you squirm."

"Okay, if you say so; whatever floats your boat, Kevin." Cloud rolled his shoulders, unaffected by the popular boy's nasty words. "It's a shame that you let what I do affect you so much, when you could spend your time feeling proud about your own accomplishments; however, if that's how you want to be, well…to each their own, I suppose," he added, turning to Reno, who was hollering at him about being he invited to the "promotion party" that they were throwing after class.

" _Promotion party?"_ Cloud boggled. "What the hell, Reno?"

And then he remembered the business card that Reno had been itching to show him.

And that explained everything.

 _I'm guessing Tseng offered you a job,_ Cloud mused, _and if that's the case – congratulations and best of wishes_.

 _You'll make an excellent Turk,_ he silently told the flamboyant redhead, right before the grim instructor thrust a letter into his hand.

~***********~

"The Commander has requested that you be given a challenging project to work on to make up for the labs and the lectures that you will be missing while you are receiving Mako tests," the instructor said. "I was initially opposed to the idea," the burly-haired man frowned, "because I do not believe that students should be allowed to 'create their assignments,' but Commander Rhapsodos has 'convinced' me to give it a try and has 'persuaded' me that it would be a bad idea for you to come in after hours to catch up on what you missed…and after the conversation we had on the phone, I found his argument to be very…compelling."

"What do you mean?" Cloud blinked, surprised that Genesis would take things this far and discourage him from coming in to do make up work. "I don't understand why he wouldn't want me to take –"

_Oh._

"I guess he wants to play it safe," he stammered, eyes widening as the door behind them was pushed open, and SOLDIER 1st Class Fair shimmied into the room, First Tsurugi strapped to his back, a duffel bag around his shoulder. "I...I'm sorry, but I need to go. I have a meeting with a very important person and I don't want to keep him waiting; I'll..."

"No problem," the instructor neutrally replied. "Good luck with your assignment, and let me know if you run into any problems."

"Sure thing, I'll do that," Cloud grinned at Zack. "You have a good day…and you…"

He smiled nervously, uncertain how to address Zack when his friend was wearing blue jeans and was clearly off-duty.

"How may I help you, _Sir?"_ he respectfully said, feeling that it would be best to use formalities.

"By giving me a few minutes of your time, Private, _"_ Zack replied, in a good-natured tone. "There are a few things that we need to discuss…if you are free?"

"Yeah, I'm free," Cloud stiffly said. "I have thirty minutes…and then I'm scheduled to…you know."

He mouthed the words "serve detention," because he was not in the mood to let the entire lecture hall know that he had gotten in trouble with Sephiroth.

"But if you need more time – I could make a phone call and tell Genesis that I am going to be a little bit late, and I'm sure he would understand and forgive me, because I've always been punctual in the past," he continued, following his friend to the door. "If you want me to do that…"

He flinched as Zack furiously slammed the door shut – and whispered, "Oh crap!" when he saw what the cause of his friend's anger was.

"I-I am sorry he hit you," Cloud apologized as they stood outside the empty 1st class apartment that Angeal had been preparing for Zack. "He has had it out for me ever since we had a run-in in the hall, and I haven't helped things by making sarcastic remarks back at him. I should have just…"

"Stop it. Quit worrying about it!" SOLDIER 1st Class Fair said. "It was just a spitball! Not a high-powered assault rifle hitting me! And apologizing is useless, because Kevin is a loser who likes to grief other kids and cause lame-ass drama for people - and he's not going to change his ways and is just going to keep on sticking it to you!"

"But –"

"Honestly, it's no big deal." Zack reassured his distressed little "chocobo." "Forget about it. Forget about him—"

"And move on?" Cloud finished for him on their way into the apartment. "And see what surprises you've brought me?" he added, deciding that this would be a safe place to discuss their plans, because they were standing in what appeared to be an empty, unmonitored apartment. "Right, Zack?" he asked, not knowing that someone had been inside, cleaning the place, and that this person had concealed himself in a side room when they had arrived– and was now waiting for them to cause trouble or vandalize the kitchen so he could write them up.

"Right, Spike," Zack beamed. "Don't give him the time of day and…"

He laughed gaily as Cloud looked at him quizzically.

"And…?!" he asked playfully.

"And _…chillax?"_ Cloud guardedly asked. "What is with you and all these "funky words?" Since when have you had a 'thing' for 'hip teen-speak?' he demanded to know, unfastening the folder and pulling out files that Zack had printed out.

Cloud whistled when he saw how much work his friend had accomplished. "Wow, I thought that it would take you an entire day to get the info, but you did it in no time!" he marveled, assuming that Zack had slept six hours and then started work on the break-in around 10 or 11 AM. "You're _really, really_ good at computers!"

 _Damn right I am,_ Zack silently chuckled.

~**************~

"I think I may have found what we're looking for," Cloud excitedly murmured a few minutes later. "Check out this passage on Summons."

"Summons, eh?!"Zack leaned in interestedly.

"Yeah, according to Doctor Scumbag, Jenova showed fear and hostility when Hollander brought a box of Summon materia into her room. She became frantic when he held up a Summon orb for her to see, and started slamming herself against her tank and trying to snap the rubber tubes they have embedded in her body, and if a lab assistant hadn't snatched the box away and dumped it down the reactor, Hojo's certain that she would have shattered the glass and broken out of her prison."

His blond eyebrows shot up as he read that Summons had been banned from the building after the incident.

"Woah…there is definitely something going on here," he shivered, feeling grateful that Jenova had not fallen into the Lifestream, "and I think I may know what it is!"

"Oh?" Zack stared thoughtfully at the document, not seeing what he was seeing. "I'm afraid you're gonna have to tell me what's going on," the 1st said, "because I'm having a blond moment. Are you suggesting that we present the bitch with a Summon and watch her have a heart attack?"

"No, I'm not," Cloud groaned, wishing it was that simple. "I'm suggesting that we bring a Summon to Nibelheim and have it ready."

He stared miserably at the wall, unhappy that it had come to using Summons as weapons.

"Summons clearly have some kind of advantage over her," he added, with resignation.

"Yeah, sounds like they do! But your plan seems a little extreme when we could just go in there and hack her up with our swords," the black-haired boy protested. "I don't like it."

 _And neither do I - but we still need to be prepared to do it,_ Cloud thought, as he turned to Zack and said, "Let's try swords first. Then use the Summon if our swords are ineffective against her. Sound good?"

 _Yeah, works for me,_ Zack nodded. "I'm right behind everything you've said," the 1st coolly replied, "but if it comes down to Summoning time, which one do you plan on using against Hojo's weird girlfriend? Odin?"

"Ya, we can try that. But…"

"I have reservations," Cloud sighed, not liking the fact that Odin burned out fast, rapidly expanding all his energy when he went into a berserk rage and started chain-casting his Zantetsuken attacks, "And I'm concerned about the horse. If Jenova manages to knock him off his steed or barrages us with illusions and spooks his steed, we are going to have some problems on our hands."

 _What we need,_ he decided, _is something that's strong, powerful, is not dependent on a partner for it to be able to fight well and is able to get through a long, drawn out fight with Jenova if Odin falls. But the problem is,_ he fretted, _I cannot think of any lesser Summons who is like that, and I have major reservations about releasing one of the Greater Summons over Nibelheim, unless it has proven to be trustworthy, reliable and shown that it is not going to turn on its handler._

"I don't suppose that you own any _high level_ Summons?" he wondered out loud, and felt very disappointed when Zack said, "Nope, 'fraid not. Angeal would never let me touch that stuff when I was in 2nd, and he made it clear that it would be awhile before I got any as a 1st, but…I can ask again. See if they would be willing to bend the rules and make an exception for me."

 _Rules?_ Cloud's face became blank as he pondered these words. "I didn't know that there were rules regarding Summons," he cautiously replied, "but I guess I shouldn't be surprised that they have them in place, because those things can be pretty dangerous and unruly. It would be bad, after all if someone less experienced than say…oh, Angeal –"

"Angeal **_won't_** go near the high level Summons," Zack corrected him, "nor will 99.9% of the 1sts, because they don't want to put up with the trouble that they can cause, but the commander and general are all over them, and they're the people you need to go through if you want to get one – which of course, is easier said than done, because Sephiroth thinks nobody but him self’s responsible enough to look after one, and Genesis has an ego the size of the continent and thinks nobody but himself is competent enough to fight with one. Soooo….between the two of them…"

"…You have a lot of fun on your hands?" Cloud guessed.

"Ye-eaaaaaaaaaa-h, epic levels of fun!"Zack weakly chuckled - painfully reminded him that he was going to have one very angry general to contend with when he returned to work the next day. And Sephiroth would likely be pissed off that Genesis would come out of his office to watch the spectacle and laugh at his misfortune.

 _I so did not sign up to be the main attraction for the circus,_ the 1st groaned, only half-listening to what his friend was saying.

His attention remained divided as Cloud proposed that they start looking for a way to treat the three officers, now that they had "Jenova and her Life Story" sitting in the palm of their hands.

"I'm not sure I git what you're gitting at," Zack admitted at last. "Are you saying that you want to do what ya can for Angeal and the others, so they can live near normal lives with minimal discomfort from this Jenova crap…or are you saying that you want to _kill off_ all the bad shit in their bodies so they're completely, totally bitch-free? While it would be awesome to do the latter, I'm not sure we'd be too successful, Spike, because…well…"

He gave his friend a mournful look that would have broken the heart of a sad, droopy-eared Basset hound.

"It's not too encouraging that Hollander and Hojo keep gushing about how hard it is to kill off Jenova cells in their notes, and well…who the hell is going to take what we find and come up with a cure? Last I checked neither you nor I had an MD – and I highly doubt that you planned on knocking on knocking on the gruesome twosome's doors and 'persuading' them to help undo the damage that they've caused?"

Cloud mouthed the words "hell no" – the thought never even having crossed his mind.

"No need to go to such extremes; we have an Ancient looking out for our friends," he reassured his friend. "And she is a damn good healer who has brought people back from death's door before," his voice momentarily faltered, as it occurred to him that Aeris had been most effective when she had been in the Lifestream, and people had been dying left and right from Geostigma."If anyone can deactivate the Jenova cells in the officers' bodies and render them harmless, it'll be her," he promised Zack, hoping that Aeris would find a way to work her magic outside of the Lifestream, because they sure as hell didn't need her jumping off a cliff or drowning herself to get back into the spirit world. "Aeris'll make things right," he added. "Just wait and see."

But even so…

 _It wouldn't hurt to have a doctor on our side,_ Cloud conceded.

"Know of any trustworthy individuals?" he wondered, hoping that his friend had been able to sniff out the good people when he had been doing his administrative internship with the science department.

"Yeah – I think so," the black-haired man cautiously replied, thoughts turning to Professor Rayleigh - the _only_ Shinra scientist whom had ever struck him as having no interest in profiting off her patients or profiting off the company. "There's this one lady who I got to know really well when I was hanging around the lab…and she told me at one point that she was on the verge of quitting her job because she'd started to get the feeling that things weren't right with Hollander and Hojo."

"And her name is…?" Cloud mildly inquired.

 _Yes! Yes!_ His eyes lit up and a smile spread across his face as Zack gave him the name, for he had a great amount of respect for the honorable woman whom he had protected from the Ravens.

"Observe her," Cloud commanded – the friendly, soft-spoken tone that Zack was used to suddenly gone from his voice as he began to work the doctor into his plans. "Talk to her. Find out if she _still_ wants out or if she has had a change of heart – and if she seems trustworthy…"

He paused as he weighed how much information he wanted to initially give Doctor Rayleigh.

"…Tell her that you have a friend who Hojo messed up—do not give specifics or names—and see how she reacts to _that._ If she's on our side, she'll demand to know who they are and want to treat them, Hojo be damned – but if Professor H has some kind of influence over her or she's decided that her loyalty's to the company after all, she'll refuse to see them and tell you that they need to go back to the person who screwed them up for treatment. Got it?"

Zack reached out and gently punched him on the arm to show that he understood. "Roger! Your instructions have been received and will be carried out ASAP!" the swordsman said, he marveling at how sharp and authoritative his little chocobo sounded. "I'll drop by her office tomorrow and let you know where I think she stands!"

His voice fell to a whisper, as his eyes fell upon a poster of Sephiroth that the previous occupant had left behind when they had moved out.

"Sound good… _SOLDIER 1st Class Strife?_ " he murmured, eyes wandering from the poster, to Cloud, and back again.

"Yeah, sounds great," Cloud grinned, not knowing that he had thrown Zack into a state of confusion, and that the 1st was replaying all those times that he had come across to people as a "big-hearted, socially awkward, self-conscious kid who's gonna have it rough if he ever finds himself thrust into any sort of leadership position" in his mind. "I'm going to be out of my dorm until 8 tomorrow," he went on, "because I need to run down to the Slum Market and see if I can find a cell phone on the cheap for Aeris so we're not constantly playing Dodge the Turks….but after that, I should be free until…10 PM curfew time."

 _Oh gods, I can't wait to become a 3rd and get away from this shit,_ he dryly thought. **_They_** _don't have to worry about getting caught outside their dorms after curfew and can go wherever they please,_ he shrugged as he glanced at his watch.

"Oh wow, time flies when you're having fun talking about Hojo's freaky girlfriend! I completely lost track of time – and I now have…ten minutes to get detention!" Cloud exclaimed.

"Do you feel that we've covered enough for now?" he asked, and he hoped that his friend would say yes, because he would be forced to call his mentor and request permission to show up late if Zack felt that they needed more time in the "war room." "I really think that we covered a lot of ground."

Yeah, we sure did – Zack agreed, but…

 _I'm gonna be selfish and ask for a few more minutes of your time,_ SOLDIER 1st Class Fair silently vowed. _I can't let you leave until I've given you your pressie,_ he chuckled, as he reached out to block his buddy's escape route and cheerfully said, "Hey, Cloud! Don't leave without all your things! If you walk out that door now, you'll leave behind something very important! And it's a must have! Can't do without!"

 _Oh really?_ Cloud made a wry face, 100% convinced that Zack was playing some sort of prank on him. He turned around, prepared to tell the other boy to knock it off, but…

…the words died in his throat as he saw that Zack had unzipped his duffel bag and that it was chockfull of materia. And as Zack laughed and happily asked him how he liked his "cool, awesome gift from me to you," he choked, stunned that his co-conspirator had gone off and spent a _shit ton of gil_ on him.

 _You have got to be kidding me,_ he sputtered, while Zack placed the materia orbs on the edge of the sink lined them up.

"That's…that's an amazing collection of materia you got there," he breathed at last. "Very impressive," he blushed, when he saw that the set included fully-mastered High Jump, Assault Twister, Wall, and Full Cure materia. "But, Zack…I…you –" he stammered."Do you _know_ how valuable some of this stuff is _?_ " he raged. "And are you aware of _how much time_ it takes to gather the resources to create high-level materia?" he protested. "Has –"

"Has anyone ever told you that you look like a little cockatoo when you get angry?" Zack smirked, showing off the Dualcast, Regen and Magic Barrier materia that he had stuffed inside First Tsurugi. "You have the wrong coloring, but you've got the whole puffed up crest thing going, and you've got the whole dancing thing that they do down par –"

His eyes widened as Cloud snatched up the Silence materia that he'd put on the sink, pointed it at him and quickly activated it.

"Mmmfffff mmmmmmf hrhhhhhhmph," Zack roared as the Silence spell took effect and rendered him speechless. "Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmph!" he complained, hoping that Cloud would be merciful and undo the spell – for there was nothing that he hated more than not being able to interact with his friends when he was around them.

 _Please?_ he silently begged, but the warning look that Cloud gave him indicated that he was just wasting his breath.

Zack cursed - the blond had clearly made up his mind and was not budging.

 _Hard ass,_ the 1st mouthed, while Cloud leaned against the air conditioner wrote out a check to reimburse him for one-hundred fifty gil's worth of materia.

 _Sneaky, underhanded, little featherhead,_ he snarled. _When this spell wears off and I can speak again, you are so gonna get it! I'm so mad that I'm inclined to pull a Sephiroth and…!_ He pulled out the packet of detention slips he carried with him, held them up in an exaggerated, threatening manner for Cloud to see and whispered the words, "PUSH UPS!"

But of course his threats fell on deaf ears. And even if he had been able to rant and rave, Cloud wouldn't have taken him seriously, for the young swordsman knew that he was a nice guy who hated to write people up and subject them to running mind numbing laps around the track.

"There will be no cutesy nicknames –" – Cloud put his hands on his hips, " –attacks on my hair –" Here, Zack looked horrified, " – or attempts to _preen_ my hair."

He snorted as Zack clasped his hands together, smiled at him contritely and mouthed the words, "Yes, Mother, I promise to behave myself."

"And when I undo the Silence spell," the young swordsman firmly said, reaching into his backpack and pulling out a Remedy potion, "I want an apology for the unflattering comparison you made, because I take offense at being compared to a brain dead cockatoo! Are you sorry?"

"No, not really," Zack growled. "I still think that you resemble a cockatoo and...awww, sheesh, Spike, don't do that!"

Zack growled – and wrung his hands in exasperation as the check was thrust into his hands.

 _I guess I have to take your check,_ he grumbled to himself, _but I really don't want to, because this is a present from me to you, and if you give me money then it ceases to be special and becomes a business transaction, and that's not what I'm about!_

 _I wish that you could see that it doesn't bother me to spend money on you,_ he sighed, as he punched his friend lightheartedly on the arm, and said, "Well…let's not stand here fighting about the check; you need to get to detention and kick Genesis' ass with the spiffy new materia I got ya and I need to _mosey_ on upstairs to my 2nd-class quarters and try to get a few things done from home so I don't fall behind on my work and get yelled at when I go back into the office; I hate getting yelled at."

 _Damn._ Zack groaned unhappily as Cloud made a comment about how he was going to get yelled at anyway for being drunk out of his mind.

"Yeah - I am gonna be in so much trouble," he whimpered, on the way out the door. "Sephiroth will skin me alive and Angeal will be so bent out of shape that he'll be in dreams, pride and honor mode all weekend, and I'll be forced to listen to his lectures 24/7. He'll be absolutely steamed and I'll…"

~**************~

 _Snap_.

The front door clicked shut behind them, drowning out their loud voices – and when they could no longer be heard, the SOLDIER who had been cleaning the apartment breathed a sigh of relief and emerged from his hiding place in the study.

As a refreshing blast of cool air blew through the corridor and hit him head on in the face, he quickly gathered up his belongings – taking great care not to scrape, scratch or mistreat the one-of-a-kind Buster Sword he had propped up against the wall –and grimly headed into the bathroom, where he turned the faucet on full blast, hoping that the feel of tap water running through his fingers and washing across his skin would set him at ease and make some of the disturbing things that he had overheard seem less ominous to him. And as warm water tippled over his arms, he straightened himself up, smiled exaggeratedly at the enormous bathroom mirror that sprawled out in front of him, and tried to compose himself – hoping that he would be able to project an image of strength to the distressed, black-haired man in the mirror, who looked…

… _A ghost of how I looked eight plus years ago,_ Angeal thought, recalling how he had felt powerful and confident, when they had been sent to do rescue and recovery in Wutai and he had said, _'Calm down! You have nothing to worry about! I'm here to help you!'_ to the terrified civilians- instantly setting them at ease with his optimism, courageous attitude and…

… _humanity._

' _Well…you see…'_

Angeal stiffened, as his sensitive, enhanced ears picked up the sound of the community clock chiming dolorously in the background… _miles_ away…and as he stood there, listening, he realized just how different he was from the people whom he had rescued.

'… _I'm…I'm with SOLDIER and Shinra Inc.,'_ he uncertainly continued, eyes uneasily taking in the sight of the enormous 60+ pound sword bobbing about comfortably between his shoulder blades. ' _And I've been sent here to locate you and your comrades, protect you from Wutainese hunting parties and guide you to a spot where the paramedics and the rescue team will easily be able to find us,'_ he sadly thought, certain that the women and children who had been with him would have recoiled from him and had second thoughts about following him if they had seen what he could do with a sword.

' _Now…'_

Angeal heaved a sigh and shook his head, as he peered into the mirror, struck by how unnaturally blue and bright his eyes truly were.

' _Come along!'_ he wavered, staring at his hands and wondering he had become even more inhuman since the rescue and recovery mission. ' _We had better get going,_ he thought, haunted by what his _honorable protégé_ had said about his body festering with Jenova cells (whatever those were), ' _because it's getting late, weather's bad, and you guys could use some blankets and food.'_

' _Get up! Follow me closely…'_ First Sergeant Hewley closed his eyes – wishing that it had been someone other than Zack in the room with Cloud, for it made it very difficult for him to dismiss their insane-sounding ramblings when they had come from the lips of his highly trusted student. ' _And keep your voices down,'_ he strained, shrinking under the weight of the unknown and the unexplainable, ' _for there's a good chance that they'll hear us and we'll get shot at – and someone will get killed. And…'_

' _I don't want that. I want you guys to live. Make it home to see your loved ones and resume your day to day lives',_ he recalled telling the people, as he attempted to rationalize what he had overheard and found that his mind felt as though it was floating on air.

' _Promise me that?'_ he sighed, finding it ironic that he had had made the people swear that would resume their day to day lives when he would be unable to continue on with his if it turned out that there were indeed Jenova cells in his body.

"Yes, _I_ promise _,"_ he whispered, taking what they had said to him – and applying it to _himself._ "I'll live," he vowed, knowing that he would not be able to resume living his "day to day life" until he had gotten to the bottom of things and found out what was going on with Zack. With the Jenova cells. With Genesis' exceptional, incredibly gifted student, who seemed to be running...whatever ship he and Zack were on. And…

_Hollander…_

_I need to find out what is going with Hollander and see how he fits into this,_ Angeal told himself, disturbed that Cloud had implicated his _doctor_ in this nasty affair, and that Zack had said that he had "gushed about how hard" it would be to kill the Jenova cells that were supposedly in their bodies. _But…_

… _I will have to be careful when I investigate the matter,_ he mused, resisting the urge to drive on over to Hollander's place, invite himself in to chat and start asking his _caretaker_ questions, _because if I accuse him of misconduct and it turns out that he hasn't done anything wrong, then I will have maligned a terminally ill man - who has repeatedly told me that he wants to die in peace and be remembered for all the good things that he has done for his patients - and that would be an awful thing to have on my conscience._

_And yet…_

_If Zack and the Strife boy are right about this, and he is neck deep in this....then…this will be the biggest betrayal of trust that I have ever experienced,_ he lamented - trying to look beyond all the good memories that he had of Hollander, and see the kindly, paternal old man as a ruthless, cutthroat scientist who was injecting dangerous cells into his body and using him to turn a quick buck. _And it's going to be really hard on my friends,_ he shuddered, as he realized that ruthless, cutthroat scientists needed people with money, muscle and power to approve their projects, fund their projects and conceal their dirty work for them, _And on the company…._

Angeal pushed himself away from the sink, as he drew a terrible conclusion.

 _NO! NO! NO!_ his heart cried, eyes falling upon a black and white 2 x 3 that he carried around with him in his wallet. _They **cannot** be involved! I've worked with these people for years…and they are good honorable men and women who wouldn't sink so low…as to do something like this. _

He shook his head in denial, as he stared at the staff photo and saw Reeve, Heidegger and the other Board members enthusiastically talking to Professor Hojo; President Shinra presenting a scientist with a dinner gift basket; and anti-social Rufus acting all chummy-chummy and buddy-buddy with Scarlet.

_They –_

_They are all interested in making money,_ Angeal sighed. _And…they would all strike it rich **if** Hojo and Hollander injected Jenova cells into us, and produced…results, _he paled. _And people like Tseng and Director Lazard, who prefer power over gil, would be offered the positions that they've always wanted in exchange for their cooperation and silence,_ he dryly thought, now wondering whether Jenova cells could be used to enhance people and turn them into super SOLDIERs.

 _They_ –

Angeal lowered his eyes and pressed his forehead against the cold white walls, as these disturbing thoughts made him reconsider what Sephiroth had told him on the way back to headquarters.

As his strong and powerful, but now sweat-soaked and wobbly hands, fluttered out helplessly in front of him, he replayed what Sephiroth had told him about Hojo making crude comments to Genesis in his mind. And when he got to the part where Seph had said that Hojo had insinuated that their sick friend would be worth "six million gil to the company" if he kept making breakthroughs, he felt his stomach compress, then push up and violently slam against his ribcage – the Professor's nasty words confirming his fear that the people who ran Shinra Inc. saw them as lab rats who could make a quick buck for them. And not _human beings_ whose health could be jeopardized by having risky procedures performed on them and foreign cells injected into their bodies.

"Zack…" First Sergeant Hewley whispered. "What have the two of you seen?" he raggedly murmured as his breath caught in his throat _._ "How much do you know?" he wearily asked. "And how did you obtain this information?" he wondered, his thoughts turned to the documents that Zack had been quoting passages from.

"Was it something you overheard?"

His lip trembled and he smiled sadly, as he realized that Zack had turned on the company and decided to risk _everything_ for his sake, because he cared for him as deeply as he cared for his little blond-haired best friend, loved him as much as he loved his aging parents, and wanted to see him live a long, full and happy life.

"Or…did you…hack someone's PC?" he needed to know. "Zack, you…"

 _You will be fired, arrested and placed on trial for treason if they catch you,_ he cautioned his absent student. _And since you have a top-level security clearance, intimate knowledge of the company, and mako in your body, they will find you guilty, and place you under house arrest for the rest of your life,_ he despaired.

He fumbled for his cell phone – suddenly feeling that it was imperative to call Zack and lecture him for behaving so recklessly. Demand he stop hacking. And plead with him to fade into the background and let him take it from here.

 _Stand down, Zack. Back off,_ Angeal silently ordered his wayward protégée, as he lifted his cell phone to his ear, and…

…froze, as he regained control of his emotions, considered the situation, and saw that it would be futile to make such a phone call when Zack was dead set on resolving this debacle on his own terms and seemed determined to keep him in the dark and out of harm's way; calling Zack would result in a dialogue, yes, but it would be an unproductive dialogue – and the conversation would likely be chock full of lies, for he highly doubted that SOLDIER 1st Class Fair would admit to hacking into computers, downloading confidential documents and betraying the science department. Nor did he have much hope that he would be able to convince Zack to stop acting so recklessly when the young swordsman believed that the Jenova cells would make him sick and his quality of life would be diminished.

"Damn it!" Angeal swore – regretting that he had taught the young 1st to be so selfless and fiercely protective of the people he cared about. As he snapped his cell phone shut and unhappily put it away, he found himself chastising himself for not emphasizing the importance of being self-centered and insensitive to others to Zack; and as he extended a hand towards his haggard, emotionally drained reflection, he asked himself what he could do to discourage his student from further taking matters into his own hands. Perhaps, First Sergeant Hewley speculated, Zack would listen to him if he provided him with documents that would give him some peace of mind and assuage his fears. _Surely,_ the disappointed officer reasoned, his student would back off if he gave him access to his medical records and showed him that he was in no imminent danger and that his health had not been compromised, and…if he used his security clearance to dig deep within the library, obtain highly classified information on the Jenova cells, and found a way to prove that the Jenova cells were not dangerous or that they had had never been injected into him or his friends, in the first place, it would put the matter to rest for good, and it would be over.

No – First Sergeant Hewley stiffened. It would not end there – for he and Zack would have to deal with Sephiroth, who was good and pissed and wanted answers.

"Zack…what have you done?" Angeal drew in his breath uneasily – and wished that Zack had not provoked Sephiroth, because now they would have to worry about the general heading into the Shinra Archives and carrying out his own investigation. And the situation that they were in was not something that he wanted to drag his best friend into when Sephiroth was stressed out about Genesis and was making self-destructive decisions.

 _I will have to eventually tell him what is going on,_ Angeal grimaced, _because this is a matter that directly affects the three of us on a personal level, but I'm not about to do it when he's taking mood-altering prescription pills, intimidating people and lying to me! If I told him the truth now, I am afraid that he would do something drastic – like suspend Zack and place him under arrest,_ he winced, _And…I wouldn't put it past him to torture the answers out of the Professor,_ he strained, wondering whether this affair would push the general over the edge and cause him to turn on his sadistic doctor. _Or do worse,_ he added - feeling that there was a strong possibility that his angry, emotionally unstable friend would use this incident as justification to hunt down Hojo and end his wretched, miserable existence.

And if Hojo died…

"We'll all be invited to attend his funeral," the First Sergeant muttered. "And after the funeral is over…we'll be given front row seats at Seph's capital murder trial," he faltered as he realized that it would be a bad idea for him to attend the "damage control" meeting that he was supposed to be at 5PM when his unhappy experience with Zack had worn him thin and run him ragged, and he was having a hard time maintaining his calm and collected façade.

 _It would be best if I cancel and ask for a rain check,_ First Sergeant Hewley decided, while he pulled out his cell phone and selected the general's phone number from his address book. _I don't like the idea of bailing out on an important meeting like this…but… I'm afraid that I'll endanger Zack if I walk into the boardroom and Tseng and Seph suspect that something unpleasant has happened to me,_ he miserably thought.

"I hope…this is a _work-related_ call and not a social call," the general coldly said to him through the phone, "because I'm not comfortable talking about _personal_ things in the workplace with _co-workers,_ and I have _no_ desire to rehash what we talked about last night. I consider _that topic_ permanently closed and I will be very unhappy if it gets brought up…again."

" _Seph?"_ First Sergeant Hewley uncertainly asked. "I…"

He trailed off, as he was met with silence.

 _I – I understand – take a minute if you need one._ Angeal shifted about uncomfortably, thinking that perhaps Sephiroth needed a moment to reconsider his harsh, alienating words.

But he was mistaken. And soon saw just how wrong he was when the general picked up where they had left off, angry as ever. And to Angeal's dismay, his tone was even more venomous than it had been before as he demanded to know if he was going to "respect" his wishes and insisted that he refrain from talking about hydrocone or his back.

"The only person I want to discuss my health with is my doctor _,"_ Sephiroth growled. "I -"

"I'm sorry," Angeal said. "But I won't be able to make the meeting. I know it's…short notice, but–"

"Short notice is better than no notice," Sephiroth replied, in a softer tone, realizing that he would drive Angeal away for good if he got angry over his First Sergeant wanting to bow out of the meeting, and tried to guilt trip him into attending it anyway. "And I appreciate you giving it to me. Take the rest of the afternoon off and…don't worry about missing the damage control session with Lazard, the Turks, and an attorney…"

… _Because you won't be missing much when all we're going to do is talk about how GR's misfortune makes the **leaders of the company** look bad, _ the general sneered – disgusted that the Board members and the President weren't giving a rat's ass about how the incident affected Genesis's career and personal well-being.

"Call me back if you need anything," Sephiroth stiffly said, deciding to end this conversation before it became personal. "And if my immediate attention is required and you cannot reach me…I'll be in Simulation Room 139 seeing if an unassuming little blond has what it takes to make SOLDIER."


	28. Winter-hearted

**Chapter Twenty-Eight – Winter-hearted**

_Midgar - εуλ 0000_

"Hey, Spike, you look like you could use a hand; are you sure you don't want me to help you carry a few things?" SOLDIER 1st Class Fair lightheartedly laughed, as he and Cloud stood outside Simulation Room 139. "I don't mind being a packhorse for my friends," he added, "and you might want to….I don't know…conserve your energy and save your strength for the epic battle that you're gonna be having with the big bad fire-breathing dragon. Lugging all that crap around's gonna leave you winded, and make you feel all stiff and sore, and if that happens…you'll be so out of it that the LOVELESS dragon won't have to exert himself to finish you off. You umm…."

"You might want to rethink what you're doing tone it down a little, now that we're practically standing on his 'doorstep,'" Cloud dryly suggested, "but hey – it's your choice. Just don't come complaining to me when he overhears you, captures you and decides to make you fill-in for the test-dummy that he's been torturing in… _shit."_

Zack narrowed his eyes, put his right hand on his hip and thrust out his chin. "Test dummy, eh? What's this?" the 1st skeptically asked. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Is this dummy story something that I would be interested in hearing about?"

 _No, it's not. "_ Hey, do me a favor and don't ask me for details about the dummy?" he murmured.

Zack bobbed his head up and down. "Yeah, I can do that."

Cloud forced himself to smile. "Thanks. What Genesis did is incredibly stupid and a waste of breath to talk about. And I'm sure you don't want to be bored to death or lose ten million brain cells listening to a ridiculous…story…like…what's gotten into you?"

Zack rubbed his temples and stared at the simulation room door.

"Is-is something the matter with the room I'm gonna be practicing in?" Cloud wondered, struck by Zack's sudden mood change. "I get the impression that you don't like it."

And Zack held up his hand. "Possibly, very likely – warning bells are going off here, because it just seems…kind of fishy to me that Genesis would set aside a nice room like this for a cadet who is being punished for truancy when all the other 1sts are knocking themselves out trying to reserve these sim chambers," the swordsman shrugged. "Makes me think that your mentor has something tricky and underhanded going on in there, and that he, well…plans on letting you have it when you knock on the door."

 _Yeah…I…wouldn't be surprised if he did. He enjoys doing malicious things when he's pissed and feeling **good** , _Cloud wearily thought – suddenly torn in two about being on the receiving end of poor treatment from Genesis. "Um, Zack," he muttered, in a strained voice, "would it be possible for you to unlock a restricted staff door for me and take me up to the control room so we can spy on Genesis? You're making me paranoid with all these things that you're saying about the room, and I'm starting to think that I'm going to walk into that room and get ambushed by high-level digital infantrymen or Cactuars."

Zack laughed. "Sure! That'd be no problem. In fact…it would be my pleasure."

Cloud snorted and rolled his blue eyes when he saw his friend's face light up at the prospect. "You really like the idea of spying on Genesis and foiling his plans, don't you?" he could not resist asking. "Why am I not the least bit surprised that you…"

"Can't wait to outfox the dragon?" the 1st finished for him. "Yeah, I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't looking forward to it."

 _But what I'm really looking forward to doing is sneaking back into the sim room real-quick-like after you've warmed up, and watching you spar with Genesis,_ Zack chuckled to himself. _And for you to convince me that you have what it takes to become a hero,_ he brightened, as the magnetic door swung open to reveal an expensive black duffel bag, an ornate-looking poniard and an exquisitely braided whip sitting on the control panel in the middle of the room.

Zack whistled – impressed. And when he went over and picked up the whip, Cloud heard him whisper, "Holy shit. This stuff is just…wrong. Spike, you need to take a look at this!"

"Coming." Cloud cautiously inched forward, dreading the worst – for when Zack called something wrong, it usually meant that it was pretty bad. "What did you find? Are those weapons…the Heike Soul and the Ziedrich?" he wondered, out loud, as an image flashed through his head of Zack slashing at an army grunt with the whip and stabbing at a sergeant's arm with the poniard outside Midgar. "But if they are how did they –"

The blond haired boy trailed off, as Zack exclaimed, "The Heike what? Cloud, have you seen these weapons before?"

Cloud flinched as SOLDIER 1st Class Zack's blue irises bore into him. "No, I haven't seen them before, but…Genesis bragged about the Heike Soul and the Ziedrich a few times and told me what they looked like," he nervously lied. "And when you showed me the poniard I thought that maybe it could be one of the Commander's toys, but…I'm probably mistaken, it would be overkill for him to bring his best weapons to a practice match with a _cadet_ , wouldn't it, Zack?"

Zack hmphed exasperatedly in response. Aloud, though, he only said, "Yeah, it would be overkill, but…you gotta remember that this is Genesis we're dealing with here, and he's not going to hold back for you. It's not at all fair, and unfortunately there's not much you can do about it unless you decide to get some help…and...knowing how you are, asking me for help's not something that you would consider, is it, Cloud?"

_Zack, what are you saying? And…_

"Shit! What is this, Zack?"

Cloud's parched lips parted as he caught sight of a grisly-looking photograph sitting on the edge of the table. He groaned uneasily as his clammy fingers closed around the sides of the image, and Zack could not help noticing that he made sure to keep it at arm's length the entire time that he was raising it up to eye level. As he took in shattered pieces of glass… big bloodied feathers scattered chaotically around a room … and Turks cording off an area in black-and -white, his normally relaxed shoulders tightened, becoming iron-hard. His strong, powerful hands wandered up to lightly touch his suddenly throbbing temples, as he noticed that one of the Turks was putting a ravaged red coat into a plastic bag in the picture.

Disbelief flitted across Cloud's features as he flipped the picture over and read the words "FOR TSENG" on the back. "Zack," he raggedly strained, shaking. "Is this…what I think it is?"

Zack's face became blank as Cloud passed him the photo. "Yeah, it is," he tonelessly said, realizing now why Sephiroth had been at the hospital at 3 AM in the morning. "Damage assessment photos for the Turks for when they investigate what happened with the poor guy who fell through the window."

Cloud gazed anxiously at his friend. "You mean Genesis," he miserably said.

Zack reached out to place a reassuring hand on his companion's shoulder. "Yeah…Genesis," he gently said, in a much more empathetic voice. "I'm sorry if I sounded like I didn't care. I just...didn't know what to think for a moment, because I never imagined that something like this would happen to Genesis and…getting sliced up like that with feathers and glass just feels so surreal to me! I mean, can you imagine what it must have felt like? It must have hurt like hell!"

"Yeah," Genesis' protégée mumbled. "It must….have."

Cloud's voice wavered and drifted off as he pressed his forehead against the cold control panel and closed his strained eyes. His sticky fingers slid down the sides of the machine as the grimness and the surprise of the situation triggered long-suppressed memories that he had taken from Zack. Uncertainty, anger that his mentor was in the hospital, and sadness bubbled up inside him, torpedoed to the surface and surged towards him, trying to overwhelm him. Picture, simulation room and friend were rolled away around him, everything became a blur, and as Cloud waged war with his emotions, Sephiroth's voice rumbled in his ears.

~************~

" _Genesis was very reluctant to have his shoulder examined," he heard Sephiroth wearily say. "He never would have scheduled an appointment if your mentor had not given him 'the talk,' and on the way to science lab, he continued to insist that it was 'just a scrape' and that they were 'wasting Hollander's time with silly people who accidentally prick themselves in the company training room.'"_

" _But I take it that that attitude soon changed after he spoke with Hollander?" Cloud heard Zack ask._

_There was a long pause before Sephiroth answered the question, and when he did reply to it at last, his voice was full of barely concealed anguish. "Yes, his attitude changed, Zackary," the wretched general murmured, "but not right away; it took a few months for him to realize that something was wrong. Hollander, you see, did a poor job of explaining things. Our good doctor told Genesis that his wound was going to become 'infected' and that his body was going to 'kill itself fighting off the infection' unless he treated him, and GR reacted poorly to the explanation. He accused Hollander of trying to frighten him into getting expensive medical procedures done, left…and let himself go untreated."_

" _And by the time he realized something was wrong, things had gone to hell with his shoulder wound and he was in an advanced state of degradation," Zack blurted out the obvious._

_Sephiroth lowered his voice. "Genesis was devastated when he found out," the general bitterly said, "and…I was not there to help him shoulder his burden. It is…painful to look back at what happened and now know that while I was negotiating with Lord Godo, Genesis was bleeding all over his apartment…trying to deal with his new wing…and I wish that I had not accepted a mission in Junon…because that is when Hollander chose to break the news to him. Insensitively, of course."_

" _Had I had been there," Sephiroth went on, "things would have gone differently, and I would have made certain that Genesis never set foot in Hollander's office again. I would have seen to it that he received treatment from a doctor who viewed him as a **human being** and not a weapon…and he would have known that…"_

_~**************~_

… _He's surrounded by people who care about him, and that they're not going to let him go through this ordeal alone,_ Cloud mused, as the world started to come back into focus and Sephiroth's voice faded away. _That's what you wanted to tell Zack, isn't it?_

"Z-Zack," Cloud murmured to himself, "when did the general tell you about Genesis going in to get treatment? Was it…after Angeal left?"

Zack frowned at Cloud, bewilderment marring his handsome features. "Sephiroth hasn't said a word to me about what's happened to Genesis," he hoarsely said, "nor has Angeal! The only person who's approached me has been Cissnei, and she has not been very forthcoming with the details, because she's under orders not to discuss the matter until the general and Tseng have released a statement to the public! I tried to ask her for information about it this morning and she just clamped up and told me to wait."

Cloud's face fell at these words. "Hmm. I guess we'll have to find out for ourselves then which of the three Shinra hospitals Genesis is being treated at," he replied, in a tone of forced confidence, "because asking your Turk _friend" –_ here, he practically spat the word – "to look up the information for us probably wouldn't go over well now, would it? If she's not willing to give out something as simple as the victim's name, I doubt that she'd be willing to give up the address."

"No, probably not, Spike."

Zack sadly retreated as Cloud picked up the gruesome photo and stared and stared at it. When a distant, lost-looking expression crept across his companion's face, he got up, and wandered across the room to the staircase, where he peered down at the door they had come through, and prayed that his friend would stop tearing himself up inside over an accident he could not have prevented. _You've already taken it upon yourself to save the three officers, expose the corruption in the scientist department, and destroy Hojo's freaky girlfriend,_ he miserably thought, _and now you feel you must be responsible for keeping everyone out of the hospital as well? Good god, Cloud, that's…insane, and you're going to end up driving yourself crazy and burning yourself out if you continue to blame yourself for this. You should just…_

"I'm honestly at a loss," he admitted out loud, more to himself than to Cloud. "I wish I knew what I could do to help you."

"I wish I knew what to do too."

Cloud fixed heavy eyes on Zack. He took slow, halting steps, as he ran through the list of all the things that they needed to do before the transformation occurred, and his gait was so pained that for a moment Zack wondered if he was going to break under pressure.

 _No,_ Cloud vowed, _I'm not going to fall apart. I'm…_

"I'm going to get that address and visit Genesis in the hospital," he slowly said, struggling not to show any emotion, "and I am going to find out if the doctors discovered anything when they were running tests on him and reviewing his medical history. Hopefully, they haven't found anything, because if they have we'll be in trouble."

Zack winced. "Why don't _you_ tell him what's going on when you see him and avert a crisis?" he asked Cloud, with a great deal of reluctance in his voice. "I know you want to wait until you had better news to give him, but…you don't really have much of a choice now that he's in the hospital and they are monitoring his health closely. They have sharp eyes and it will only be a matter of time before they find something, word gets back to him…and then what? Are you going to let him lie in the ward, leaping to wild conclusions?"

Cloud's head snapped up to meet Zack's gaze. His breathing was weak and raspy, as he crossed his arms and legs. He seemed to shrink before his friend's eyes as he sighed and said, "I can't do that, Zack – not unless we have absolutely no other options left. If I were to go in and tell him that crap in his body is slowly _killing_ him _,_ he would go ballistic! He'd think that I'd gone crazy and push me away, and I can't afford to lose his trust now right when he needs me the most!"

He stumbled over to the stairwell, pulling up alongside the 1st as Zack recoiled.

"Spike, are you saying that he has a life-threatening condition?!" Zack exclaimed, his eyes widening with horror at this terrifying revelation.

"Yeah, I am," he guardedly said.

Cloud drew close, pressed his lips to Zack's ear, and lowered his voice. "Look up _'degradation'_ in Professor Asshole's files," he quickly said. "There ought to be information, because I'm sure Hojo foresaw this happening one day. Speak to Professor Rayleigh ASAP. I need you to do it - much sooner than you intended, because if things go to hell, I want to be able to tell Genesis that we have a doctor researching a cure, and that we're going to get Jenova out of everyone's bodies. If we fail to secure her help, he will seek out Hojo and Hollander, and, hey – be careful!"

Cloud gasped as Zack squeezed his hand with dire urgency, digging his nails into his knuckle bones. He backed away from his stunned companion and saw hopelessness and silent agony in his tumultuous, churned up blue eyes. As tears appeared beneath Zack's thick black lashes, he seized his friend's fingers, enclosing them in his hands, and pulled the distressed 1st towards him, reeling him in. He wrapped his arms around his friend and stiffly rocked him, trying to offer comfort that he was not used to giving, and Zack leaned into him in return and said, "What about Angeal?"

"What about him?" Cloud quietly queried. "I don't understand what you are trying to say."

"Is he in any imminent danger?" Zack needed to know. "Is what's happening to Genesis…going to happen to him as well? And why…didn't you tell me that it was this bad?" he suspiciously questioned.

Cloud became pensive. "I don't think Angeal is any immediate danger, because he's healthy and strong," he raggedly replied, "and he seems to be okay for the time being. I haven't noticed anything that sets off alarm bells, whereas every time I see Genesis I think –"

"I think you should have told me," Zack cut him off, his voice once again rising above a whisper. "I can't believe you kept something like this from me."

"Yeah, I made a mistake," Cloud rasped, pulling away from Zack. "I wanted to tell you when you came to my room, but…I hesitated to, because I was afraid that you would decide to take matters into your own hands when you learned what had happened to Angeal. I feared you would run off, attempt to confront the monsters in the science department, get caught and that someone I care about would end up…" – _dead again –_ "…in prison…" he admitted, as he retreated to the window on the far side of the control room, certain that his friend would realize that he was continuing to conceal information from him if they attempted to discuss things face to face. "But now I know that I have nothing to be worried about and that I should have trusted you from the start. I'm sorry that I had so little faith in you."

He tugged on his baggy, oversized jacket, drawing its high-collar up around his neck, so that it cocooned half his face as Zack joined him at the window, determined not to let him get away.

"Forgive me," he pleaded, when Zack stood ominously behind him, towering over him, "and…"

He shivered, trembling with relief as he felt forgiving gloved fingers gently reach out to touch his hair.

"Please don't do that to my hair. I don't want to have to explain to Genesis that I was the victim of a hair terrorist when I pay him a visit at the hospital," he weakly laughed, wishing that Zack had chosen some other way to show that his apology had been accepted. "And please be careful with the arms and the shoulder also," he cautioned his friend. "They…are sore."

Zack's eyes flooded with concern. "Spike, are you okay?" he asked. "You're not hurt, are you?"

Cloud distastefully eyed the thick metal bracers he was wearing on his wrists and the heavy steel pauldron covering his left shoulder. "No…I don't think I am," he said, with embarrassment, wondering why the hell he had chosen to dress up like a SOLDIER for his lesson with Genesis. "But I think that the armor they issue is very uncomfortable and I need to take it off before it leaves a bruise on my shoulder or I get a blister on my arm," he added, understanding now why his mentor had spent hundreds of gil to have his epaulettes and coat custom made by a tailor. "It's driving me insane."

Zack unbuckled the heavy and tossed it on the floor. "That armor's ridiculous," he replied with some of his old fire, even though his voice remained broken and distressed. "I'd recommend that you go bare-armed or put on my leather shoulder pads. They're just what you need to get through a long, brutal sparring match with..."

He tensed as his eyes fell upon the black duffel bag on the table, swallowed uneasily and went over to inspect it. _If Genesis is in the hospital, who the hell brought his stuff here,_ he wondered. _I highly doubt it was Angeal, because leaving other peoples' possessions lying around in a room any staff member can walk in and out of isn't his style!_

"Cloud," he unhappily said, after a moment of hesitation, "I think someone is waiting to break the bad news to you in the sim room, and I'm guessing that it's one of the Turks, because there're even more damage assessment photos that you _don't_ want to see tucked away under the bag. Given that these pictures are addressed to Tseng, I wouldn't be surprised if the head Turk himself was down there, and he can be pretty harsh. He's very difficult to be around, especially when you're dealing with liability issues, so if you don't want to deal with him, I'd understand. And I'd have no problem going downstairs to talk with him and find out what's going on. Would you like for me to do that?"

 _No, I don't!_ Cloud responded by thrusting his sword arm out, stepping into the doorway leading to the observatory platform, and positioning his body so that his friend would have a hard time slipping passed him and his oversized weapon. "I think it'd be best if you stayed up here and let me work things out with Tseng," he said. "I know you want to spare me a nasty experience, but if you go down there now you'll break the illusion that you're claiming sick leave and they won't believe you when they confront you about the phone calls."

Zack jammed his hands in his pockets so Cloud would not see his fingers curl up and become fists. "Yeah, Cloud," he reluctantly conceded from the control room chair, "you're right. It'd do more harm than good if I went down there, so I'll just hang out here, make a few calls and try to find out which hospital your mentor's being treated at. Maybe Cissnei will decide to be more forthcoming about the details if I tell her that I want to send my colleague roses and a get well card," he chuckled.

Cloud laughed weakly at that comment. He watched Zack flip a switch, so he would be able to listen in on his conversation with Tseng, and then stepped out onto the observatory platform. "Try to resist the urge to send him anything," he started to say, but the words died in his throat as…

…he peered over the railing…

…and saw **_Sephiroth_** lurking below him in the dimly lit simulation room.

Cloud felt his stomach compress and his ribs push up into his chest as the tormented swordsman appeared to sense his presence and began to scan the room. He pulled away from the railing and froze as Sephiroth's reptilian green eyes scoured the bleachers, the stairwell and the entry. His pulse quickened, knees buckled and his wrists quivered as the fearsome general stood there motionlessly - listening for the sound of footsteps…a heartbeat…a person breathing – and when Sephiroth tilted his head and looked his way, Cloud thought of a great owl-horned slowly turning around to mesmerize its prey with its penetrating, paralyzing gaze. _No, no, no! Turn away! Go away! Leave Zack and I alone,_ his heart screamed, as Sephiroth held up his long, ungloved fingers and menacingly flexed them in the air. _I wanted to see Tseng! Not you! If I go down there to speak to you when my guard is down, you will realize that I am concealing information from you and everything will come undone!_

 _What do you want, Sephiroth,_ Cloud wondered, disturbed that the general was holding his Masamune blade at his side. _Did you come here to tell me that Genesis was injured, or did you take time off work so you could personally kick my ass,_ he silently asked his foe. _I-I hope that this isn't payback for the incident that happened in your office,_ he cheerlessly thought, _because I would like nothing more than to put that experience behind us and…_

"…Move on," he whispered, barely managing to force the words out as Sephiroth moved to the ring in the center of the room and confirmed his fears.

 _Shit_.

Cloud swore as Sephiroth started to prepare for battle. The blond tensed as his opponent lazily unfasten the oversized buckles that kept his coat clipped tightly shut at the waist. He watched with suspicion and apprehension as Sephiroth dexterously slid the small strips of leather that passed for belts out of their clasps and let them dangle, hanging down along his body. As the thick coat flew open to reveal smooth marble skin and thick, well-conditioned stomach muscles, Cloud was painfully reminded of how Sephiroth had looked when he had snuffed out his life in the Northern Crater. And when the garment slid down Sephiroth's arms, exposing his chest, neck and back to the frigid, over-air conditioned room, he started to shake.

Strife felt his stomach twist up in knots as Sephiroth raised his head in challenge and he saw hopelessness, confusion and sadness in the fallen man's wild, narrowed green irises. He held up his hand in a child-like gesture and pushed it against empty air, wanting to push the other man away rather than fight him.

"Cloud, I know you're there," he heard Sephiroth grimly say. "Why don't you come out and face me?"

 _Because I don't want to!_ Cloud shuddered as Sephiroth slithered out of the shadows and a halo of white light formed above his now shirtless opponent. He tensed, every limb and muscle becoming taut, as the general reached for his Masamune sword. As Sephiroth extended a sleek, but strong arm and smiled predatorily at him, his mind felt as though it was floating on air. He did not know what to think as he turned to face his nemesis and saw silver-hair whipping about…powerful chest muscles moving up and down as Sephiroth gasped for breath in his excitement to come to terms with him…and sweat dribbling down the general's long clavicle.

"I didn't expect this! This isn't what I had in mind!" he murmured, in spite of himself.

Sephiroth's eyes flashed mercilessly as these cowardly sounding words escaped from his lips. "It is not what I had in mind either," the general impassively told him, "and yet circumstances necessitated that **I** be here to guide you. It would be a violation of who I am supposed to be if I excused you for the transgressions that you committed against **me** when you decided to lie, sneak through restricted staff doors and have others carry you through your classes. And it would be unforgivable to me if I did not tell you that –"

"- My mentor is sick and in the hospital. I-I know," Cloud strained. "I heard about the accident when I got out of class…and was on my way here."

Sephiroth stiffened as he listened to the boy's innocent-sounding explanation. _I highly doubt you just "heard" about Genesis' misfortune "in the hall,"_ he quietly raged, but he was not in the mood to lay into Cloud and go fishing for information and names. Tseng was more than capable of finding out which of the Turks had violated Genesis' privacy, so he glided across the room and stood directly under the ladder that one used to ascend to the top of the observatory platform, and looked up at Cloud and said, "You must know then what happened to your mentor, Cloud."

To Sephiroth's disgust, Cloud shook his head and said, "No, I don't know what is going on. All I've heard are bits and pieces here. It sounds though like he fell through a window."

Sephiroth rolled his eyes. _Your gossip spreading, rumor-mongering friend should have told you the full story,_ he bitterly laughed to himself, but to Cloud he only said, "You have it wrong; you were misled. Genesis did _not_ fall through a window. He, Angeal and –" – _myself –_ "another person were sparring and the match became very intense. Genesis started using his area effect attacks and one of them backfired and ricocheted off the window, bringing glass down upon his head. When I realized what had happened, **_I_** contacted Tseng at once, and Genesis was promptly rushed to the army hospital off LOVELESS Avenue, where he is rapidly recovering. And driving the hospital staff crazy with his demands for e-books, Banora whites and breakfast in bed."

This news appeared to have a calming effect on Cloud. The tension in his shoulders alleviated and he approached the railing, instead of staying planted right next to the control room door. "I'd be happy to help out," he replied, in a steadier voice, confidence starting to reassert itself now that he had news of his mentor. "Just let me know what Genesis wants," he added, "and I'll take care of it and bring it to him."

 _Hmph, you don't say_? Sephiroth blinked, taken aback by the change that had overcome Cloud. His brow furrowed in unhappy bewilderment as Cloud put his hands on the railing and leaned forward, attempting to look him in the eyes. His lips thinned with displeasure as haunted, distant blue eyes bore down upon him, and when they began to warily size him up, he wondered if he had done irreparable harm to the boy's self-esteem the day that he had assigned him detention in his office. Or deeply wounded him on a personal level with the hurtful comments that he had made to him. _I cannot think of any other reason to explain why he acts so unpredictably around me,_ the perplexed general mused. _Perhaps I should tone down how I speak to him until he regains confidence in me,_ he sneered– suddenly feeling very irritated with Cloud and his lack of emotional maturity.

Sephiroth smiled coldly at Cloud and wondered if the boy knew that he would be working for him when he became a SOLDIER. As he drew himself up to his full height and returned the boy's scrutiny with a fierce glare of his own, the general found himself hoping that Cloud had thought about what he would be getting into. Nothing pissed Sephiroth off more than seeing talent go to waste, and he was beginning to doubt that skillful Cloud Strife would be able to put the previous misunderstandings that they had had behind him. _If he refuses to take instruction from me while Genesis is in the hospital, it will convince me that he doesn't have what it takes, and I will turn him away from the entrance exams,_ Sephiroth vowed, as he picked up his sword and beckoned to Cloud. "Perhaps you would consider coming down and talking to me on the floor?" the general slyly said. "I find it very uncomfortable to stand here and attempt to hold a conversation with you, and would rather speak to you face to face," he added, and was greeted with…

… _silence._

Sephiroth snorted. He put his hands on the ladder and climbed up the first two rungs, positioning himself so that he would have a good view of Cloud's face and be able to assess his reaction to his request. The boy was a master at hiding his emotions behind his wild, out of control hair, so he wanted to have as close a view as possible…and while he was at it…invade his personal space and agitate him.

"Well, Cloud, what will it be? Will you come down?" Sephiroth asked, in his most arrogant tone of voice. "Or should I come up?"

 _No – please don't come up._ Cloud cringed as the crown of Sephiroth's head appeared at the edge of the platform. His heartbeat quickened as the general's unyielding eyes tore into him, and he felt his face heat up as Sephiroth gave him a condescending smile. His lungs locked up and his breath caught in his throat, but he managed to maintain his cool, and say, "Go back down. I'll…join you in a few. I just…need a moment to find a place for my sword; I'll have no need for it since Genesis and I won't be sparring today."

Sephiroth coughed loudly as Cloud started to unbuckle his weapons harness. "Correction," he lethally growled, _"you_ and I will be sparring." He pointed officiously to the ring in the middle of the room as Cloud's breathing and body stilled. "I came here to inform you that your mentor is in the hospital _and_ to assess your skills for myself. Genesis speaks well of you and I am eager to see if you live up to his praise…or if the good things he's said about you have been grossly exaggerated. I hope that you do not turn out to be like _LOVELESS –_ overrated and over acclaimed – because if you do, we will have to work hard to correct your mistakes. I expect you to take instruction and constructive criticism seriously, and to give me 200% more effort than you give Genesis, SOLDIER 1st Class Strife," he added with a smirk, just now noticing that the boy was wearing a sleeveless black sweater with a military cut. "Do. You. Understand?"

Cloud buried his face in his hands and let his fingers slide down his cheeks. "Yes, sir," he said, in a tone of forced calmness, "I understand."

"Oh, do you know? Time will tell. Get done here – NOW." The general sneered again for good measure as Cloud unsteadily hopped onto the ladder. The boy was making an effort to turn things around, but Sephiroth remained dissatisfied. He was someone who was used to achieving instant results and receiving instant gratification, and it was extremely frustrating to him that Cloud was making such slow progress. And it was absolutely intolerable to him that Cloud did not appear to be pouring his heart and soul into pulling his act together. _If I was in your position, every ounce of my being would be going towards improving myself,_ he silently admonished Cloud, who was having a hard time getting down the narrow ladder with so much weight hanging from his back.

"Cloud. Be. Careful." Sephiroth growled warningly as the tip of Cloud's blade sword nearly sliced his unprotected shoulders open. "You need to pay attention to what you are doing and ask to be issued a proper weapons harness. The one you're using is ill-equipped to carry a weapon…like that," he added, in an intrigued voice – curiosity getting the better of him as the most elaborate looking sword that he had ever seen dangled tantalizingly before his very eyes.

Sephiroth reached for Cloud's sword as it swung precariously about above his head. His gloved hands caught the blade, as it came close to slipping out of its weapons harness, and he hungrily pulled it towards him for inspection, eager to learn its secrets. Cloud had no choice but to stand there, clinging uncomfortably to the rungs of the ladder with a heavy sword being pulled off his back, as he studied the blade, trying to figure out how all the pieces fit together. As Cloud grunted and groaned, he memorized as many details as he could, creating a blueprint of the weapon in his mind to use against his opponent. He drew upon his knowledge of weapons, recalling everything that Tseng and Professor Gast had taught him, and as he silently inspected the fantastic sword, he unconsciously tapped into his suppressed memories of their duel over Midgar. And started to remember.

 _Strife's sword looks like it is made up of five auxiliary blades,_ he mused – not without some confusion. _The hollow blade appears as though it could be used as a secondary weapon, while these back blades appear as if they could be used for cutting through metal with their sharp striking edges. And this side blade…looks as though it contains storage space,_ he speculated.

"Perhaps we should have a look inside," he proposed, much to Cloud's dismay.

Cloud shifted about uncomfortably as he looked over his shoulder and saw the general's hands fiddling with the side compartment door. He attempted to jump off the ladder and retreat to the other side of the room, but Sephiroth had an iron-clad grip on his sword and was not about to let it go. He was forced to stand there as Sephiroth flipped the safety switch and yanked open the door; and he felt the words choke in his throat when the general started to pull out his materia, one by one. "Perhaps you would care to tell me how you came by this materia?" he heard Sephiroth venomously ask, in a voice that oozed with suspicion. "Cadets normally cannot afford to buy expensive Dualcast and Full Cure materia. Did you buy it? Or was it given to you? Did you get it from Professor Hojo?" the silver-haired man demanded. "Sometimes he goes out of his way to give materia and gear to 'promising young cadets'; in return, of course, for lab time with them. Shall I assume that you are in his good graces?"

 _No – no – NO. God no._ Cloud vehemently shook his head. "Professor Hojo and I avoid each other," he said, to Sephiroth's immense relief. "We have personal and professional differences and we do not get along; I would never consider accepting anything from him, and I doubt that he would want to have anything to do with me. The materia was given to me by a friend and I am trying to pay them back for it. Because it is a lot."

Sephiroth tugged forcefully on Cloud's sword, yanking it down in disgust as he spied a very familiar silhouette moving about the control room above his head. "Well then. I'll assume that the materia was given to you by a 1st class friend," he icily added, "and that he was drunk out of his mind when he gave it to you and not properly thinking. I wonder who else he gave materia to when he was staggering around the building, disrupting people in his drunken state?"

The color drained from Cloud's face as he followed Sephiroth's gaze up to the window. Every muscle in his arms became rigid as he realized that Sephiroth had become aware of Zack's presence, but he remained focused, kept his composure and said, "No one. I was the _only_ person he gave materia to, and he wasn't disrupting people in the hall. He gave the materia to me this morning."

Sephiroth turned around and gave him a long hard look. "When he was in bed, recovering from his hangover?" he asked in a controlled voice, as hellfire blazed in his eyes. "I am surprised that he invited you over to pay him a social call when he's claiming to be, I quote – 'sick as a dog who's spent an entire weekend outside freezing to death in the cold.' And it is absolutely bewildering to me that he thinks hiding in a sim room watching you serve detention is a good way to speed up his recovery. Is there something going on with your socially irresponsible alcoholic friend that you would care to share with me, Private Strife?"

"Yes – there is."

Cloud jumped down from the ladder, landing on the ground with a hard thud. He straightened himself up, put one hand on the hilt of his sword in warning, and returned Sephiroth's powerful gaze with an equally forceful one of his own. Sephiroth found himself taken aback as he stubbornly thrust his jaw out and bared his teeth at him. The tormented general was not sure what to think as he saw pain and suffering that one only sees in a child who has been emotionally traumatized reflected in Cloud, but it made him uncomfortable enough to want to take a few steps back, and pull away. And as Cloud's penetrating eyes tore into him, Sephiroth found himself hoping that the boy did not see him as being as abusive as the person who had hurt him.

 _I would never hurt you the way Hojo has hurt **me,** Strife, _ Sephiroth shivered, with rapidly rising doubt and confusion. _I'm not – a monster like he is – I'm – I'm human,_ he swore, feeling more and more certain by the minute that Cloud saw him as a twisted, unfeeling creature who wanted to play sick little head games with people and break them. _And I hope you can see that,_ he forlornly thought, as Cloud grimly said, "Zack's _not_ a heavy drinker. He rarely ever goes out to drink, but…he had a few beers last night, because he was excited about finishing his training and making 1st class. He –"

"Were you drinking with him?" Sephiroth acidically asked him, unloading upon him as doubt and confusion turned to embarrassment and anger. "Was he supplying you with alcohol? Or did you provide it for him?"

Cloud calmly stood his ground as Sephiroth ripped into him. "No – I don't drink," he immediately replied, "and Zack would _never_ 'supply' me with alcohol. He went out to Midgar to have his drinks and he came back to headquarters snockered. He was barely able to stand on his own two legs and seemed very excited about something, so I brought him into my dorm and talked to him until he started to sober out; I wasn't about to let him return to his apartment when he was upset about –"

Sephiroth clenched his fists and cut him off. "He was upset that I'm being treated by Hojo and started ranting at me on my answering machine. He wanted to know about the 'sick things' that Hojo does to me in his office, and kept insisting that I 'run far, far away.' He is very intrusive–"

Cloud raised his head and met Sephiroth's gaze. "No, he is afraid. People talk all the time about Hojo and his methods and how twisted they are. He and Hojo do not get along and he is worried that Director Lazard will force him to start seeing him one day. He doesn't trust Hollander either."

Sephiroth advanced menacingly upon Cloud, making sure to decrease the distance between them and get up in his personal space. The boy's explanation sounded believable, but it did not account for the terrible questions that Zack had asked about his birth parents. "I don't see why he wouldn't trust Hollander," he snapped. "The man treats his patients with dignity and respect, and practices medicine with honor. Nor do I see why he is interested in learning about my childhood misfortunes; he has no right to get on the phone and start demanding that I 'tell him about Jenova.' My _mother."_

Cloud shivered as Sephiroth uttered Jenova's name. He swallowed nervously, looked up at the window and wished that he had stayed with Zack while his friend had read Aeris' documents. First Sword, general and sim room window all blurred together in his mind, and were all sucked down into a maelstrom of mish-mashed colors, as he lowered his eyes and tried to think of what to say to explain away Zack's behavior. He had no doubt that he looked like a mentally unbalanced little boy as he sincerely said, "Zack didn't mean any harm. He wasn't trying to hurt you or be a busybody. He is very protective of you and was wondering why your parents weren't around when you were being trained for SOLDIER. He told me he thought that if they had been there, they could have called Hojo out and taken him to task for some of the experiments that he was performing on you and the other children."

Sephiroth nodded tersely as he contemplated Cloud's words. It was difficult for him to believe that Zack should feel so protective of him when he had done everything he could to keep the emotionally needy young SOLDIER at a distance, but it was not entirely out of the realm of possibility. _There…is some truth in what he says. I've seen Zackary fiercely defend people whom he barely knows,_ he conceded, as he turned to Cloud and hoarsely said, "A person who cares about me wouldn't make unjust judgments about my family or call my dead mother a 'virus' on the phone. I find it hard to believe he 'cares so much about me.'"

"No, sir, you're wrong! He _does_ care about you," Cloud passionately persisted. "He sees you as his boss, his colleague and his friend," he forcefully continued, voice full of confidence and conviction, eyes free of duplicity and hesitation. "And I hope – you will forgive him for getting drunk and leaving those calls on your machine."

"And what if I don't want to?" Sephiroth riposted. "His intentions may have been honorable, but the way he went about expressing his concern for me was extremely offensive, and I have no tolerance for drinking on the job."

"Yes…I…understand," Cloud whispered, heart beating wildly as he realized that Sephiroth had decided to accept his weak-sounding explanation. "Sir."

"Strife."

The general grimaced as his eyes met Cloud's. He reached for his coat and draped it around his slouched shoulders, and wandered over to the PA system in the corner with it dangling from his back like a large, drooping black wing. His hands slowly ghosted over the controls as he considered what Cloud had asked him to do.

 _I'm sorry_. _I-I cannot forgive people who meddle in my personal life and try to "save me" from myself,_ he despairingly thought. _It would be wrong. It would show weakness. It would be a betrayal of who I am._

Sephiroth hummed quietly as he repeated his self-defeating mantra to himself. He turned on the speakers, picked up the microphone, and double-checked the settings to make sure that Zack would be able to hear his message from the control room before he leaned towards the machine to talk. He was technologically challenged with the new PA systems and feared that he would accidentally end up broadcasting his message to the entire floor.

The general glowered at the complicated machine. "Cloud has explained the situation to me," he said at last, "and I have decided to reprimand you for your disruptive behavior. You will be assigned to work overtime without pay and cover Genesis' duties while he is on sick leave. When you come in to work tomorrow, you will find his paperwork sitting on the desk in my office, and additional assignments will be given throughout the day. Do you understand?"

Sephiroth lowered the microphone, waiting for Zack to respond to him over the PA system. He was certain that the young man would opt to stay up in the control room after he had just humiliated him by publicly punishing him in front of his friend, but to his surprise, Zack decided to deal with him face to face. He glared coldly at the black-haired boy as he stepped out onto the observatory platform, looking like a kid who's been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and folded his arms across his bare chest to let his newest employee know that he meant business. "Is there anything that you would like to say to me?" he frostily asked Zack, who had turned bright red and looked extremely flustered.

Zack stiffly lifted his spiky-haired head in acknowledgment. "Yeah there is," he bleakly replied on his way down the ladder, once again wishing that Cloud could have chosen some other way to undo the damage that he'd cause. "I realize that what I did last night was really irresponsible, and I'm sorry that I subjected everyone to that drunk crap on the phone." He paused, trying to recall the exact words that Cloud had used to describe his transgressions. "I was…very excited about making 1st Class and it…all went downhill after one beer," he added with trepidation, and the way that he said it sounded so fake that Sephiroth arched his eyebrows and stared at him questioningly.

" _One_ beer?" the general quietly asked. "I thought you had several."

"Yes, he did!" Cloud exclaimed, deciding that it was time to intervene. "He started off, just intending to have one, but he has low alcohol tolerance and gets intoxicated easily. One beer was enough to make him lose control, and the next thing he knew, he was going for seconds and thirds."

Sephiroth snorted - unimpressed. "I question the maturity of a person who decides to have alcohol when he knows he is allergic to it," he scornfully said, "and I question the judgment of a cadet who carries around materia that he is not supposed to have."

 _I beg your pardon?_ Cloud's heart pounded fiercely as Sephiroth scowled at him, and his stomach churned and twisted up in knots when the general pointed to the bright red materia orb rolling around on the floor next to his sword. He mouthed the words, "oh shit," and bent down for it, but Sephiroth was faster than he was, and swung his sword out to block him from reaching it. Both Cloud and Zack found themselves groaning miserably as the general picked up...

"Odin." Sephiroth arched his eyebrows as he examined the materia orb. "This is a very dangerous Summon, and neither of you have any business owning it. I am disappointed that you would give a Summon to your friend as a gift, Zackary," the general condescendingly told them, "and disheartened that you were too spineless to turn the gift down, Private Strife. The two of you should know better, and such foolishness discourages me from trusting you with Summons anytime in the near future. Let this be a lesson you take to heart."

 _Oh, don't worry. We'll remember. This isn't the sort of thing that we forget._ Zack bristled as Sephiroth confiscated his best friend's materia. His blue eyes gleamed menacingly as the general stashed the Summon away in his thick black coat, and his gaze was glacial when Sephiroth smiled at them darkly and said, "I think that I'll give this Summon to Genesis. I have no need for an Odin Summon, but he has been after one for a long time!"

Zack _grred_ as the general described his plans for the Summon. He opened his mouth to protest the general's unfair decision, but...

…was stopped by Cloud, who made a throat-slitting motion with his hands to indicate that he needed to shut up before he did irreparable harm, and mouthed the words, "NO!"

 _I see._ Zack let out a pained sigh as Cloud joined him at the base of the ladder. He put his hands on his co-conspirator's shoulders and drew him towards him, pulling him in. His fingers combed through his companion's hair, tenderly pushing sweat-soaked blond bangs to the side, as Cloud looked up at him with sorrowful, spent eyes and whispered, "Don't worry about it. Let it go. Challenging him over this is a lost cause and anything that you say is just gonna piss him off. You're already in hot water with him as it is and I don't want to see you end up permanently in the dog house if you know what I mean, Zack."

Zack clasped his friend's hand, squeezing it tightly, as Cloud forlornly followed Sephiroth about the room with his eyes. "Yeah, I know what you mean," he murmured. "You don't want to raise hell, but…Spiky, it is _your_ Summon, and you need it to…you know."

Cloud warningly raised a finger to his lips as Sephiroth started to walk towards them – eager to find out what they were talking about. "I know," he replied, "and I don't like it either, but…I'll find a way to get it back. Genesis trusts me and I might be able to use that to –" – _gain access to his office and take it back –_ "convince him to return it to me once I explain the circumstances."

Zack's face darkened. _Good luck with that. While you try to persuade him, I'll scout around Midgar and look for Summons. Maybe someone would be willing to part with one for cheap,_ he dryly thought, as Sephiroth pushed his way between them and condescendingly said, "Detention is to be spent sparring – not socializing. People who are claiming sick leave should find their way back to their apartments – or find a way to make themselves useful; make your choice quickly, Zackary. I am not in the mood to stand here waiting while you try to decide what you want to do."

The black-haired boy backed away from the suspicious general. "What would making myself useful entail?" he guardedly asked. "Setting up a program for you in the control room?"

Sephiroth waved his hand dismissively, rejecting Zack's suggestion. He thrust a pen and clipboard into the young 1st's arms, and pointed officiously to the thick metal bleachers on the far side of the room. "I want you to observe the two of us while we are sparring and take detailed notes," he quietly said. "I promised Genesis that I would write a performance review for him, but I do not have the time…and need you to write the evaluation instead; do you think that you can do that for me?"

Zack solemnly nodded and slithered into the bleachers. "Yeah, I suppose I can do that," he resentfully replied, still upset about the Summon. "I'm all for stuff that's going to help Cloud out, but…don't expect it to be one of those Genesis kinda reviews, ok?"

"Don't worry, I don't expect you to have the spine to," Sephiroth icily replied, before turning away.

He raised his sword, pointing the tip of it towards Cloud's neck. He straightened his back, spread his feet apart and drew his elbows in, bringing them close to his body.

His eyes gleamed with amusement as he realized that Cloud was following his movements with baited breath. He stood quietly in the center of the room, giving Cloud a moment to see how he held his sword. How much weight he placed on each leg. And how much distance he kept between them. He elegantly arched a silver eyebrow as their eyes met and Cloud stiffened under the weight of his indomitable, unyielding gaze. Dark laughter bubbled up in his throat as the boy perceived impending threat in his actions, and slowly shifted from a high stance to a middle stance. As Cloud leaned forward on his right leg and lowered his sword so that it was level with his waist, Sephiroth stiffly raised his chin to signify his approval. _You made a wise decision to switch to a stance that provides both offense and defense,_ he silently complimented Cloud, _and it is hard to find fault with what you have done, hence far. The way you hold your sword is…flawless …and you have excellent situational awareness for someone of your skill level. But…_

"…Do you have what it takes to make SOLDIER _,"_ he wondered, out loud, before he attacked.

Cloud leaped back as Sephiroth swung at him. He pulled his sword close to his body, dropped to his knees and rolled forward, certain that the tall man would hesitate to slash at him when he was in a precarious position on the floor. "Yes – I have what it takes," he rasped mid-roll.

Sephiroth resumed his offensive stance as Cloud came out of the roll. He stared pensively at his opponent as the boy got up off the floor. He remembered how Genesis had attempted to roll under him when they had sparred and briefly wondered if Cloud was going to run around and wear him down or attempt to dodge and block his attacks. As Cloud retreated across the floor, he found himself hoping that the boy would opt to fight defensively, rather than offensively. _I don't want to go through a repeat of last night,_ he shivered, suddenly feeling afraid that he would see the friend whom he had put in the ER reflected in the blonde little swordsman standing before him. _Or think about what happened. I just…want to…fight,_ the emotionally drained general lamented, as he brought his sword down upon Cloud's blade and murmured, "Concentrate. Stay focused. If you lose your focus, I will defeat you so quickly that you won't even know what hit you."

Cloud gasped as their swords locked together and his arms buckled under the weight of the two blades. He gritted his teeth together and pushed, trying to use his upper body weight to act as a counter weight. He heard Sephiroth sneer at his discomfort, saw Zack stand up in the bleachers and start shouting about how going all-out on him from the very beginning wasn't fair, and felt his resolve strengthen. Without mako in his body, he knew that there was no chance in hell that he would be able to beat Sephiroth. However… _I still can put up a pretty good fight,_ he vowed, _and show Sephiroth a thing or two._

"I'll try my best…to give you a good fight," he strained, much to Sephiroth's amusement.

Sephiroth sarcastically clapped his hands as Cloud threw his weight backwards to break the sword lock. "Don't make promises you cannot keep!" he mockingly said to goad his opponent. "Now that you've promised to make things entertaining for me, I am going to hold you to your word." He watched with interest as Cloud landed, and then instantly soared into the air to avoid getting hit with the seven-foot long Masamune blade that he was certain was going to barrel his way. His green eyes glowed with excitement as Cloud swung his arms and sword over his head, and kicked his feet up, bringing them up to chest level. And he laughed quietly as Cloud kicked out of the jump and plummeted within easy striking distance of his blade.

"So much for your promise," he nastily said as he prepared to rush Cloud. "Amateur mistakes such as the one that you just made cause me to lose interest and make me wonder what I am doing here, wasting my time with you. Perhaps I should have….grrr."

Sephiroth snarled in disappointment as Cloud agilely side stepped his charge and sprang over his head. He raised his sword threateningly, but made no attempt to attack with it, knowing that he would end up impaling Cloud if he tried to attack when the boy was performing…

"A flying cross-kick," Sephiroth simply stated once Cloud was back on the ground. "I didn't expect you to attempt that maneuver and I am surprised that Genesis did not draw the line at teaching it to you. You do not have the height or the upper body strength to effectively execute such moves," he added, as he raised his sword and went charging after Cloud.

_You've got to be kidding me._

Cloud tensed as Sephiroth's sword menacingly bore down upon him. He mouthed the words "hell no" and wasted no time in activating the Wall materia that Zack had given him, certain that he would not be able to block the general's charge. He leaped back as an enormous crystalline barrier materialized in front of him, and then breathed an immense sigh of relief as Sephiroth veered to the side to avoid crashing into his Wall. As Sephiroth murderously glared at him from the other side of his rapidly weakening barrier, he held his hand out, and summoned a fireball to his side. The general heard him whisper the words, "Burn!" as the Wall cracked and shattered, exploding into a million pieces.

Sephiroth carefully stepped over the pieces of crystal that were now lying scattered on the floor. He kept his eyes on his opponent as he activated the Magic Barrier materia in his blade and debated whether he should start using his attacks, now that Cloud had upped the ante and casted Firaga. It did not seem particularly fair to him that Cloud had not asked him for permission to use offensive materia, so he decided to go ahead and see how the boy would react to him using some of his least-damaging attacks. If Cloud demonstrated that he could not dodge and block his attacks without injury, then they would stop and go back to basics…but if the boy proved that he was capable of handling them and rose to the occasion, then he saw no reason not to keep up the pressure and push Genesis' protégée to his limit.

Sephiroth smiled cruelly at Cloud and thrust his hand up over his head. "Did Genesis teach you how to use fire materia?" he asked. "Or did you learn that trick from Mr. Fair?" he purred, hoping to unnerve his opponent. "I would like to know how you found such strength, Cloud," he lulled in a super-saturated voice that made Cloud's skin crawl. "Will you tell me?"

 _No-no,_ Cloud swore, fighting hard to maintain his calm as the general's honeyed words re-awakened old memories from his miserable past. He drew in his breath and tightened his grip on his weapon as images from the ruins of Midgar flashed before his eyes and he saw Kadaj flinging himself off a building…Sephiroth slashing at him…and Zack's spirit hovering protectively over him as he crawled like a wounded animal to his sword's side. He shook his head in refusal as he fought hard to suppress the ghosts from the past, and tried to control his shaking as the general's slitted green eyes grinned at him with demonic delight from across the room. The words choked in his throat as he hissed, "N-none of your business. I'm not about to tell you. You know more than you should about me already - _shit._ You're casting…"

"Stigma…" Sephiroth murmured to himself, surprised that Cloud had identified his attack before he had finished charging it up. "Where have you seen it before…?"

"Not interested. Bye!" Cloud avoided the question by jumping into the bleachers to put some distance between himself and his opponent.

He dashed up to the top, spun around and hurled the fireball in his hand at Sephiroth as the silver-haired swordsman lowered his sword and pointed it commandingly at him. As Sephiroth flung up an arm to block the attack, he threw down his own weapon and dove off the side. A pillar of dark fire erupted from the spot where he had been standing and skyrocketed towards the ceiling. He crash-landed on his shoulders as the pillar exploded and burning black ash rained down around him, missing him by some miracle.

Cloud rolled onto his stomach, quickly put up a Wall around himself, and cowered behind his barrier as two more pillars shot up on either side of him, boxing him in. His now bruised fingers closed painfully around the hilt of his sword as Sephiroth glided across the floor towards him, looking like an angel of death with his silver hair whipping around him and pale blue light radiating from his hands.

"Why on earth did you cast that on him?" he heard Zack roar as the world spun out around him. "I thought that this was a practice match – not 'Let's Kill Cloud. 'What do you think you're doing?!"

Sephiroth surveyed the damage that his attack had caused. "Nothing that Private Strife is incapable of handling," he said, in a haughty-sounding voice that concealed how struck he was by Cloud's performance. "He recognized what I was casting and dodged it. He has good reflexes and situational awareness and….I think that he will be able to put up a fight if we take it to the next level. Provided, of course, he is willing."

Cloud gulped, but he tightened his grip on his sword and stepped forward. "I'm – willing," he replied, certain that he would damage his credibility and lose Sephiroth's respect for good if he declined the challenge, "but I want to know what I'm getting into. Will I be dealing with Octaslashes? Or are we talking Heartless Angel attacks here? You saw what materia I had in my sword…therefore, I think it's only fair if you tell me which of your attacks you will be using, sir."

Sephiroth hmphed softly in response, not sure what to make of what Cloud had just said. It was common knowledge that Octaslash was his signature attack, but very few people knew that he had developed the ability to perform Heartless Angel, and those who did know respected his wishes not to share the news with the general public. The fact that the boy knew what he could do meant that Cloud had either watched him perform his attack in the simulation chamber…or spoken with someone who had deliberately decided to violate his privacy. And it disturbed him to think that the person responsible for the breach of trust might be someone he deeply trusted – like Genesis, who had privately told him that he would do whatever it took to make sure that his protégée received recognition for his accomplishments. _I hope that you didn't have anything to do with this, GR,_ he heavily thought as his uncertainty rose. _I've discovered that I no longer can trust Angeal on a personal level and…the last thing I want is to lose faith in you as well! I –_

"I would like to know how you learned about my attacks," Sephiroth declared. "Did one of my colleagues tell you what you should look for, or did you go to Zack or Genesis and ask for the information?" He smiled paternally at Cloud as the boy realized that he had said more than he should and became a blank, expressionless sword-wielding statue. "I have a lot of respect for cadets who show initiative and try to find out what they can about their opponents," he continued, confident that Strife would give him the answers he sought if he resorted to ego-stroking. "In my book, that makes them SOLDIER material."

Cloud took a moment to consider the general's fair-sounding words. _I'll damn myself if I tell Sephiroth how I know all his attacks, and damn Zack and Genesis if I say that I learned about his abilities from them,_ he told himself. _I get the impression that he is looking for a scapegoat, and wants one of them to take the blame. I think the best thing for me to do would be to tell Sephiroth that he's wrong._ "No one told me about your attacks and I'm afraid that I didn't show much initiative either," he said at last. "I was working on an assignment for my materia class in the Archives and stumbled across the info. I wish I could tell you that I'd gone to Genesis or Zack, but…I didn't think of going to see them."

Sephiroth clenched his fist in disgust. _I think that it is time I paid the Archives a visit and ask them to restrict my personal information,_ he angrily vowed, as he raised his sword and said, "For your lack of initiative, you have earned yourself the honor of facing me on a day when I feel inclined to use _all_ of my attacks."

Cloud recoiled – not believing what he was hearing. "Even Heartless Angel? Or your limit break?" he squeaked.

His foe's response was cryptic. "Maybe, maybe not, you have not earned the right to know," the general arrogantly replied, before he swung at his opponent without warning.

 _Clash_. Metal once again slammed against metal as Cloud spun around, blocking Sephiroth's attack with less effort than it had taken him before. Their blades hummed and buzzed as Sephiroth pressed his offensive, forcing Cloud to block blow after cruel blow. The general nodded his head with grudging approval as Cloud fought back – frequently parrying, sometimes riposting. There was a smile in his green eyes as Cloud ducked to avoid an overhead swing and corkscrewed away from him to avoid getting nailed by the low swing that immediately followed the high swing. The boy was light years away from being in his league, but he could see now that the potential to become one of his best swordsmen was there. And if Strife managed to overcome his mistrust of him and learn to take instruction from him, then he would personally see to it that Cloud received the experience that he needed to succeed and grow within SOLDIER.

 _Genesis chose well_ were his thoughts as Cloud retaliated with a strong counter slash.

Sephiroth effortlessly blocked the attack and said, "Good – good. You are starting to fight aggressively now with power and passion. I'm beginning to think that you want to be here."

Cloud pressed the release switch in his weapon, ejecting the hollow blade from the main body of his sword. He quickly equipped the auxiliary blade as Sephiroth's hands began to glow with ghostly pale-blue light. As tear-drop shaped ice crystals from Sephiroth's dark spell materialized around him, he raised his weapons to his chest and bravely said, "You are wrong. I have _always_ wanted to be here."

Sephiroth laughed scornfully and released the ice crystals, sending them torpedoing towards his opponent. "Then prove it to me," he goaded the boy. "Your academic record says otherwise to–"

_Crash!_

The general's eyes became slits as Cloud sprang over his head and slashed at the ice crystals.

_Thud!_

The general's lips thinned as the two blades cut through the crystals. He listened to them shatter and fall to the floor. He heard Zack whoop in the background and saw disbelief in Cloud's eyes as the boy examined the shards and whispered, "I didn't think that I would be able to stop your Pale Horse attack…or that you would use it on me at close range. I thought that it was a long range attack."

"No, you are mistaken," Sephiroth shot back as he came flying after Cloud. "All of my attacks are long range and short range," he disdainfully said, as Cloud skillfully parried his attack, "and that means that you cannot use distance to predict what I will and will not do. I am spectacularly unimpressed that you did not remember that detail from the Archives…however" – his features softened, even as he proceeded to relentlessly rain powerful blows upon the boy–"…you needn't worry, because I am in a forgiving mood today and don't feel like holding mind-boggling levels of incompetence and lack of reading comprehension against you."

"Um, thanks…I guess." Cloud muttered as he dropped to his knees and held both blades above his head. His arms buckled as Sephiroth slammed against his awkwardly positioned criss-crossing blades and tried to use his weight to bowel him over. He suppressed a cry as his knees quivered, his shoulders ached, and every muscle in his body felt like it was on fire, but he held firm – determined not to let the sparring match end with him lying helplessly on the ground. "I appreciate it…I suppose," he groaned.

"You are…very welcome," Sephiroth jeered at him as he slashed at his shins, punched him in the elbows, and attempted to kick his feet out from under him. "It feels so refreshing to fight such a courteous foe," he added.

Cloud's eyes hardened as Sephiroth mocked him - and they became slits when he felt the general tug hard on his hair. _Courteous, my ass,_ he mentally snarled – not knowing that the metal watch Sephiroth was wearing had become snagged in his hair and that the hair pull had been unintentional. "How can you praise me for being courteous when you're pulling on my hair," he spat. "I've had enough of this! Let me go!" he growled, lowering his head and launching himself at his opponent.

"Urk." Sephiroth grunted as Cloud barreled into him, gasping as Strife head butted him in the abdomen and smashed the flat side of his sword across his shoulder in an attempt to get away from him. He wheezed stertorously and grunted as the boy bashed him in the legs with his offhand blade, but quickly recovered, and returned the mistreatment with an uppercut of his own. The uppercut was followed by a jab to the chest, a kick to the knee, and a powerful push that sent Cloud sprawling. As the boy collapsed in a heap on the floor, Sephiroth grit his teeth and hissed. "Never, ever, strike me like that again when I am not wearing my armor," he angrily exclaimed. "You could have caused serious injury to me with your sword," he snapped at the bewildered cadet. "From now on, pay more attention to what you are doing!"

Cloud pulled himself up off the ground and lowered his weapons. "I'm…sorry," he tried to apologize. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I was trying to get away from you and I didn't think that –"

"That a blow from your sword couldn't hurt me?" Sephiroth softly riposted. "You wouldn't be the first person who has thought that. You have an entire city out there who thinks that I am invincible. That I'm a god. That…I'm inhuman," he bleakly said - hoping that Zack and Cloud would continue to see him as a forceful and decisive leader, even after he had been exposed as a vulnerable, wounded human being in his anguish. "And you know what? That city down there…is full of little fools," he bitterly added, because he needed to re-establish his position as General with them. "And they –"

 _Don't._ Sephiroth warningly placed a hand on the hilt of his sword as Cloud offered him his Full Cure materia. "Put your materia away and come over here," he growled. "Let's pick up where we left off - but this time I will fight you…at my normal speed."

Cloud whispered the words, "Yes, sir," and reluctantly returned to the center of the sparring area. He shifted about nervously as Sephiroth glided across the room, worried that he would hurt his general again. As Sephiroth prepared to re-engage him, he quietly examined his idol's back, looking for signs of injury. He flinched as he took in the sight of reddened, tender-looking skin and wondered what the hell he had been thinking as his eyes fell upon the general's inflamed, swollen shoulder blade. For a moment, he considered backing out of the fight and walking out of detention…but to his dismay, Sephiroth deduced what he was thinking, and re-positioned his body so that he would have to go through him in order to get to the exit. "You are not allowed to leave this room until I have dismissed you," the silver-haired man firmly told him, "and that could be quite awhile now. It all depends on how much effort you show me. Understand?"

"Yea-yeah, got it," Cloud whispered.

"Good, then." Sephiroth triumphantly said, as he dashed after his opponent. His Masamune whistled through the air as he bore down upon Cloud, and he heard the breath catch in the boy's throat as pale fire began to spark from his blade.

Cloud threw down his off-hand weapon as Sephiroth cast a spell that he had never seen before. He leapt back and cast Wall. Sephiroth pursued him and he equipped his main blade and flipped it, turning it so that it pointed up vertically. The Masamune smashed against his sword, sending sparks flying. Searing pieces of blue and white ash billowed around him, whipping at his bare arms and lashing at his hands – but his barrier was strong and shielded him from the heat. As the sparks bounced off his clothes, he calmly activated the Dualcast materia in his sword and gathered up the spirit energy around him, drawing it into him. Hope filled his eyes as he felt the Lifestream energies surge through his body, and lips thinned into a grim smile as he heard Sephiroth say, "Well done. You deflected Draw Slash. Now show me you can fight offensively as well as defensively. I'm beginning to think that the only two talents you possess are dodging and blocking."

"No – you are wrong."Cloud spun his sword around him, dexterously sweeping it about his body in a semi-circle as Sephiroth tried to come at him from his blind side. "I'm not all about defense," he said between clenched teeth.

Sephiroth assumed a high offensive stance and retreated, backing away from his opponent. "You are also are one of the worst dual wielders I have ever seen, and I would like for you to have a little chat with SOLDIER 1st Class Fair after detention," he condescendingly said for the sake of finding fault with the near faultless. "Angeal taught him everything he knows about dual wielding and I have no doubt that if you ask him nicely, he would be willing to run you through the exercises that elevated him from world-class failure to...."

"World-class wonder?" Zack optimistically suggested.

Sephiroth snorted as Zack beamed at him. "Sure, why not?" was his sarcastic reply as he prepared to rush Cloud. "Feel free to give yourself that self-appointed title," he informed the now indignant boy. "It ought to be the stand out on your resume. Now, as for you, Private Strife…"

"No. Thank. You." Cloud hissed, as he soared into the air and threw his legs over his head to avoid Sephiroth's Octaslash attack. He heard the general growl as the Masamune missed him and saw his opponent slash upwards as he plummeted back to the floor. He crash-landed hard on his stomach and barely had time to activate the Thundaga materia that Zack had given him. And even less time to cast it with Sephiroth bearing down on him.

 _Zzzzap!_ A stream of blue lightning shot out of Cloud's sword. Sephiroth laughed coldly and held up his hand to block the blow. Cloud swore as his lightning bolts ricocheted harmlessly off the general and crashed into one of the video cameras that was suspended from the ceiling – destroying it. He winced as the smell of fried mechanical pieces filled the room, but he quickly got over it, and hurled five more lightning bolts at Sephiroth – all of which the silver-haired man easily deflected. Thundaga was followed up with Firaga, Firaga with Blizzaga, but nothing seemed to do any good, and Cloud nearly lost his calm as Sephiroth walked coolly through the elemental inferno that was swirling about them.

There was fire in Sephiroth's eyes as the general swung his sword, effortlessly slicing through the fireballs that kept coming his way, and when they stood less than two feet apart from each other, Cloud found himself wondering if this was how his angel had looked to the townspeople when he had burned Nibelheim to the ground. As his enemy approached him, he prayed that this was not how his general had appeared to the fallen, because the sight of Sephiroth standing in the middle of the room with ice and ash billowing around him was beautiful – terrible – and unforgettable.

 _This is how I pictured him when I first heard about him,_ Cloud breathlessly realized, as Sephiroth said, "Good job. I asked you to make a change and you rose to the occasion. You take instruction well…when you want to."

Cloud turned bright red as Sephiroth handed him his off-hand weapon and smiled haughtily at him. He was not sure if the general was truly satisfied with his performance, or if he was receiving one of Sephiroth's infamous backhanded compliments. "Thank you, sir," he said, after re-attaching his hollow blade to the main body of his sword. "I'm glad that you liked what I did."

Sephiroth scoffed at him and stared at him like he was high. "I liked your _effort,"_ he corrected Cloud, "not your execution. Spamming me with projectiles is not very imaginative. You need to learn how to fight more creatively, my little delinquent."

"Little delinquent?" Cloud squawked as Sephiroth re-engaged him. "Who are you calling little delinquent?"

Sephiroth jeered at Cloud as he attempted to slash at his flank. "You," he taunted his opponent in between counterstrikes and parries. "According to your record, you were absent from lecture three times during your first week of class. Your teachers report that you were consistently tardy to your seminars and one of your instructors says that she does not remember ever seeing you. You were written up by Angeal for missing curfew and sneaking through a restricted staff door, and ran afoul of the general himself. Anyone with half a brain can see that you have problems with following the rules and respecting authority. However…"

 _I am encouraged by what I am seeing now,_ he mused, as he said, "Raise your sword. Loosen your hold."

Cloud eased his grip on his sword. He relaxed his index finger and, spread his feet apart. He hoped that he was now holding his sword the right way, because he was having a difficult time absorbing information with Sephiroth pushing him to his limit. Everything was a blur in his mind as Sephiroth swung his sword back and forth – effortlessly blocking his attacks and forcing him to think fast on his feet as retaliated with counter slash after brutal counter slash. His eyes burned as he tried to roll under the Masamune and get under Sephiroth's guard, and everything around him felt hazy, as Sephiroth dashed away from him, easily avoiding him.

"I…am…getting tired," he gasped. "I'm not sure…how much more of this I can take."

Sephiroth responded to his plea by slashing at his feet and forcing him to leap back into the bleachers. "I do not feel any sympathy for you," the general nastily told him as he pursued him up the bleachers' metal steps. _"You_ were the one who decided to use a heavy sword that is inappropriate for your body type and have no one to blame except _yourself_. You are an illogical little glutton for punishment and I hope that you will learn a thing or two from this experience, such as….how to choose a proper weapon and how to pace yourself. Perhaps your socially responsible friend, Zack –"

"My _good friend_ , Zack, is a great person!" Cloud snapped in exasperation. "He's given me fantastic advice, an amazing sword, and an ass-kicking set of materia," he added – plunging his hand into his pocket to pull out the High Jump materia that had come with Zack's gift.

Sephiroth furrowed his brows in unhappy surprise as Cloud ripped open a side compartment door in his Fusion sword and attempted to jam the glowing yellow orb inside. He recalled how Genesis had tried to High Jump up to the beams and realized that Cloud now planned on doing the same thing. His lips twisted into a snarl as he pictured his opponent hurling fireballs at him from the ceiling, and he decided to take measures to ensure that Private Strife would not put him through a repeat of what he had gone through with GR. As Cloud struggled to load the brightly colored orb into his sword, Sephiroth snapped his blade into the air and dashed across the bleachers - determined to knock the precious materia out of the cadet's hands. His booted feet thundered over the stainless steel steps as he bore down upon the boy. The wobbly bleachers shook, quivering as though afraid, as he dove in for the kill. He rolled his eyes as Zack threw down the clipboard and hollered too-late words of warning, and saw the young cadet put up a hand to defend himself. He laughed at the pathetic gesture – swung his ungloved fist at the boy – and…

…roared when Cloud blasted him with Thundaga materia.

Sharp, stinging pain shot through the general's chest as Cloud's attack hit him head on. The pissed-off swordsman hissed and attempted to backhand Cloud, but the boy had anticipated such a move in advance, and was prepared.

Sephiroth growled as Cloud high tailed it and dove over the side, landing on the ground with a hard _thunk_. He watched in dismay as the little blond pest snatched up his Fusion sword and rolled under the bleachers, vanishing from sight. The High Jump materia, of course, went with him and Zack did not help the situation by whooping and chanting, "Way to go, Spike! Awesome comeback! Keep up the good work! You're doing amazing!"

"Damn." Sephiroth swore and massaged his temples as the black-haired boy's happy yips shattered his eardrums. He glared murderously at Zack before picking up his sword and quickly walked to the other side of the bleachers. Pillars of flame shot up around him, erupting through the floor and bursting through the thin metal seats. Sizzling black fireballs exploded behind him as he followed up his Stigma attack with Shadow Flare. The bleachers crackled as he casted Pale Horse and searing blue-white flames engulfed the area. He smiled with sadistic amusement as his Deen attack billowed through the slats in the bleachers and put pressure on Cloud, who was scurrying about below like a frightened rabbit. His green eyes shimmered with cold satisfaction as he thrust his Masamune sword, hilt first, into a crevice. He heard Cloud moan as his sword brained him and weak flames slammed into him, and was vaguely aware of SOLDIER 1st Class Fair springing to his feet and shouting, "What the hell did you just do to Cloud? If one hair on his little golden head is out of place, then…!"

"…Then you are going to 'kick my ass' just like I just kicked your friend's ass?" Sephiroth retorted, right before he teleported down to the floor. "Don't make threats, Zackary, unless you can back up what you say," he added, as he materialized next to Cloud.

Sephiroth pressed his sword against Cloud's throat and savored his victory. "I would that recommend you yield to me," he purred. "I have you trapped – with nowhere to go."

"Yeah, you do," Cloud rasped from the floor. "Congratulations on your victory over a _cadet_."

Sephiroth knelt beside Cloud and helped him sit up. He noticed that the boy's temples were swelling and that there were scrapes and bruises on his arms and legs. He casted a low-level Blizzard spell, caught the icicles as they floated down to the ground, and beckoned to Zack, who was standing against the wall looking like he needed something to do. "Fetch me a towel to wrap this ice in," the silver-haired man barked, "and bring Private Strife a glass of water. Do it – NOW."

Zack came over to Cloud and gently ruffled the battered blonds’ hair. "You can have my bottled water," he kindly said, handing his friend the thermos he always carried with him to work, "and I'll get you that towel ASAP so you don't have to worry about that ice sticking to your hands, Spike. Just give me a sec to unlock the storage closet where they keep all the towels."

Cloud gratefully took the water from Zack. He tucked the thermos under his arm and pulled himself up off the floor, using the wall to support his weight. He pushed his way past Sephiroth and limped over the bleachers, where he promptly collapsed in one of the seats. Sephiroth followed him and he watched warily as the general took out his cell phone and started to distractedly press buttons. He was not sure what Sephiroth planned on doing with the cell phone, but he was certain that it would be bad, and that he would not like the result. _I hope he doesn't plan on celebrating his victory by taking a picture of me,_ he inwardly cringed, as the general turned to him and scathingly said, "Your performance was memorable. I will never forget it; and whenever someone mentions your name to me, I will think of you cowering under the bleachers waiting for the end to come."

Cloud lowered his eyes. "I'll try harder. Promise." he told the general. "I don't want to repeat the mistakes that I made today."

Sephiroth loomed over him and folded his arms. "You made several major mistakes today," he mused, "but…you made far fewer mistakes than the other cadets whom have sparred with me. And that says much about you." He paused for a moment, using his silence to command Cloud to look at him. "You…have talent and ability," he admitted, at last, "and if you continue to work hard and improve, there is a chance that you will make it into SOLDIER."

 _Ohmygod, I can't believe he just said that. Am I hearing things?_ Cloud stared at Sephiroth with wide-eyes. It took a minute for it to register in his mind that Sephiroth was praising him instead of tearing him a new one. He shifted about with embarrassment in his seat as Sephiroth reached out and touched his face, cautiously exploring his cheek with his hand.

He shivered as the general's fingers traced the curve in his jaw line, and wandered down to his neck. Those fingers hovered over the muscles in his throat and he swallowed hard – wishing that he knew what Sephiroth wanted. Cloud blushed as Sephiroth laughed at his discomfort and it was a huge relief to him when the general finally pulled away from him.

"I felt your pulse quicken and your temperature rise," Sephiroth told him as he struggled to regain his composure. "It is…amusing to me that you handle brutally honest criticism well, but that you fall to pieces when someone praises you. You are acting as though you have never received praise before. Perhaps you were not praised very often as a child by…your parents."

Cloud frowned. He did not like having Sephiroth allude to his family, but he acted as though he did not care, and said, "I received my share of praise when I was a kid. I am just…not…used to receiving praise from people like Genesis…or you."

Sephiroth quirked an eyebrow at him, and Zack decided at that moment to return with the towel.

"Would you like to hear from Genesis?" the silver-haired man asked. "I could…arrange for you to speak with him…if you wish, Cloud."

"Yes – I would like that. Please." Cloud promptly replied.

He clasped his hands together and brought them up to his chin as Sephiroth slithered into the seat beside him. As Sephiroth pulled up Genesis' number, he stared at the remote walls, debating what he should say to his mentor. It had been extremely difficult for him to project strength and courage to people when Denzel had been diagnosed with Geostigma, and he worried that the shields that he had created to protect everyone would crumble now that he was dealing with yet another terminally ill friend. His eyes roved over to Zack, who was following his every move from the floor, and he briefly wondered what his best friend would think if he failed to preserve his façade of forced calm and showed uncertainty and distress. He could sense that Zack was having just as hard a time as he was dealing with the situation that they were in, and feared that he would aggravate the 1st and put him through emotional hell with his doubts and his personal grief. His lips tightened in determination as Zack slipped into the bleachers behind him and whispered, "It'll be all right, Spike!" and he steeled his features so that Sephiroth would see acceptance and detachment reflected in the mask that he wore. "I'm ready to talk to him," he announced to the people in the room.

"And he is ready to talk to you, _"_ Sephiroth softly said – catching the hesitation in his voice.

"I've brought up the number for you, and all you need to do now is press TALK to make the call go through," he added. "The TALK button..."

… _Is the one labeled "TALK" on the left!_ Cloud flushed with annoyance as Sephiroth attempted to teach him Cell Phone Use 101. _And that little button marked "VOLUME" is used to turn up the volume,_ he fought back the urge to sarcastically tell the general, as he said, "Hi, this is Cloud Strife. I would like to speak to SOLDIER 1st Class Genesis, please."

Concern bubbled up in his blue eyes as he heard his mentor painfully groan into the phone. "Are you – okay?" he asked with urgency. "You sound like you're feeling a little under the weather."

Genesis smiled at his ingénue's words. "A 'little under the weather' doesn't begin to describe how I feel," he snorted through the phone. "I am _bored_ out of my mind watching soap operas on TV and eating thin soup and soggy, under-cooked vegetables," he dramatically sighed, "and I have terrible company. The nurses are unimaginative and uninterested in debating the finer points of literature, and the doctor who has been overseeing my treatment is a tyrant and makes me want to prematurely check out of here. If I wasn't getting paid for being on sick leave and getting get-well packages from my co-workers, I would be gone! You've never known what real pain is, Cloud, until you have had to go through an extended stay in the hospital with Dr. Asshole and his assistants."

Relief washed over Cloud's face as he listened to Genesis trash the hospital staff and their "shit-tastic services." A faint smile appeared in his blue eyes as his mentor described how he was getting free cooking from Angeal. A new set of clothes from the Turks. And a collector's edition of _LOVELESS_ from Sephiroth. _Hell,_ Cloud thought, when Genesis told him that his cat was going to be boarded at an expensive pet motel, _you'd think that he was on vacation with President Shinra from the way he describes it._ Aloud, though, he said, "Please let me know if there is anything you want me to get you. Tell me what you want and I will bring it to you."

He heard the crackle of hospital sheets as Genesis said, "Why, Cloud, you sound so formal!" in a muffled, barely audible voice.

Cloud paled with embarrassment as he realized that he had been acting like a serving boy. "I – didn't mean to sound so serious," he apologized to his sick mentor. "But since you're not on duty at the hospital, I guess that it wouldn't be – "

"No! You're wrong; I'm always on duty, and I expect my subordinates to address me as _sir_ or _commander_. " Genesis smugly corrected him, with some of his old fire. "I do not like it when they treat me like I am their equal, _"_ he arrogantly added. "So don't start calling me _Gen, GR_ or, goddess forbid, _Genny._ "

Cloud nearly spat out the water that he was sipping. "Someone called you _Genny?"_ he incredulously asked – finding it hard to believe that anyone would have the audacity to be so inconsiderate to the bad-tempered first. "I am guessing that the person who said that was drunk out of their mind and acting like an idiot," he added, seeing no other way to explain such foolish behavior.

Genesis scoldingly clucked his tongue on the other end of the line. Cloud Strife was naïve to think that the person whom had been calling him stupid names had been under the influence when they had treated him with such disrespect.

No, he silently seethed, Zack Fair had known damn well what he had been doing when he had caught Angeal's little puppy cracking jokes about him with Luxiere. However…he supposed that he could attribute future acts of stupidity to drunkenness if the rumors about Zack circulating around headquarters turned out to be true. _Next time Tseng pays me a visit, I will ask him about his run-in with Mr. Fair in the halls,_ he vowed, as he yawned and said, "Let's talk about something else, mmm'kay? I don't feel like discussing what the rude little mongrel did to me! It would…bore me to death and I have more than enough boredom here as it is. I'd much prefer…to talk about you and your final day of detention; did you like your substitute teacher?"

 _No- NO – NO!!!_ Cloud shuddered and his eyes darted on over to Sephiroth in the bleachers. To Genesis, however, he simply said, "He put me through a good work out. Detention today was…intense…and things got pretty brutal when he started using his attacks on me."

Genesis laughed softly as he pictured Cloud getting blasted into the ceiling by Sephiroth's attacks. "He is an excellent instructor and I am certain that you learned a lot from the experience," he smoothly replied. "People who are fortunate enough to receive instruction from Sephiroth come out – " – _with their asses handed to them and their egos crushed_ – "wiser and stronger, and I am looking forward to reading his evaluation of your abilities; after I have reviewed your assessment, we will discuss it, and I expect that you will work hard to correct the issues that he has found!" he smugly said.

Cloud groaned as the sight of Zack taking notes in the corner reminded him that Sephiroth was not going to be the one writing an evaluation for him. As Zack cheerfully held up what he had written, hence far, he prayed that his mentor would reconsider asking to see an evaluation, because it would be a disaster if his best friend's scribbling made their way to the redhead's bedside. _The last thing we need is Genesis going apeshit over something Zack wrote,_ he shivered. "Maybe…it would be better if I just come in and describe to you how things went?" he wearily proposed. "General Sephiroth's been extremely busy and…it could take him a few days to write an evaluation for me. By the time he's written it, you'll probably be out of the hospital, and able to assess my skills in person for yourself."

Genesis instantly dismissed that idea. "General Sephiroth is a very fast writer and can have an evaluation written within a day. It won't take him as long to write the evaluation as you say it will, and I would appreciate it if you would quit making excuses, Cloud! It is very irritating to listen to you 'pitch alternative suggestions' and hope to get out of this! You would make life a whole lot easier for everyone if you would accept that he's going to be writing the evaluation and start thinking about ways you can improve yourself. If you do not…you will be sorry!"

Zack decided at this point to intervene. He could tell from the look on his friend's face that Genesis was being difficult and reached across the bleachers for the cell phone. When Cloud resisted, he got as close to the phone as he could, and said, "Hey, buddy, chill out. You're laying it on a bit strong and stressing him out."

"No, you're not. Please disregard his comments!"

Cloud snatched the phone away and quickly retreated to the top of the bleachers. He retreated into the shadows, plopped into a seat, and scrunched his body up so that the two other men in the room would have a hard time seeing him. He looked like he wanted to sink into the floor and die as Genesis loudly _hmphed_ into the receiver. He hoped that his mentor would overlook what Zack had said and not turn the conversation into a puppy bashing fest, but he doubted that Genesis would be that merciful, because the redheaded man had never turned down an opportunity to trash-talk Zack in the past. And Zack was not helping by loudly arguing with Sephiroth in the background. _"He's acting like a jerk and sticking it to Spike!" is not going to make Genesis forget he's here,_ Cloud fumed as the end loomed nigh.

"I'm sorry about that interruption," he said after an uncomfortable pause. "A friend of mine decided to stick around to watch me spar with Sephiroth and –"

"His name is Zack the Puppy," Genesis answered in a heavy, ambivalent voice. "I thought that he was taking the day off to purge the alcohol from his system, but…I suppose he decided to change his plans at the last moment and tag along with you to detent—shit," he hissed.

Cloud became motionless as a statue as he listened to Genesis swear…and swear again.

"Sir!" he murmured. "Are you…okay?"

_Yeah – I think so. I'm –_

Genesis suppressed a moan as Cloud waited for his response with baited breath. He dug his nails into his thin, shabby hospital sheets as fire shot down his spinal cord. He clenched his teeth as he pressed a hand to his aching left shoulder and tenderly massaged it. His ears hummed as pressure built up inside them from the pain, and the chairs, sterilized hospital equipment and IV drips around him became a hazy blur as tears started to appear in the corners of his eyes. As he poured himself a handful of aspirin for his headache, he pressed his cell phone to his ear and said, "Don't worry – I'll be fine. My back and shoulders are sore, but the pain will pass as soon as I get used to sleeping in these awful hospital beds. The one I am lying on feels as though it is as hard as a rock and the pillows are flat and feel as if they do not have any stuffing in them. It would be much better if they had cotton padding in them."

"Yeah…padded pillows are nice," Cloud hopelessly whispered.

Despair bubbled up in his frosty blue eyes as he realized that Genesis had started to change and that there was nothing that they could do to stop his wing growth now that it had begun. As Genesis rambled on about pillows, he covered his face with his hands and wished that he could have protected his mentor from having to go through such a terrible, traumatic ordeal. He rose to his feet and walked in a surreal daze through the bleachers, wondering if the situation would have turned out differently if they had focused on treating Genesis, instead of looking up information on Jenova. _I-don't know,_ he shivered at the base of the bleachers. _I don't know…and…we cannot go back and correct what we failed to do,_ he told himself, as Genesis swore and said, "Cloud, would you mind bringing me my makeup kit later this afternoon? I look like a corpse at the moment and if people walk in and see me, they are going to think that there's a monster in this room."

Cloud choked at that remark. He tightened his grip on Sephiroth's cell phone and practically shouted, "You don't look like a monster, so don't say things like that, okay? Or think them. You look like every other _human being_ in SOLDIER."

Genesis weakly chuckled as Cloud took offense to what he had said. "But I don't want to be like everyone else in SOLDIER," he softly countered without passion or force in his voice. "What I want, Cloud, is to be able to walk down the street and have people turn their heads as I pass by and say to their friends, 'Do you see that man? Take a good look at him and remember his face, because…he's…'"

"'A hero,'" they both said at the same time.

"Exactly," Genesis beamed, not knowing that his words were causing Cloud emotional distress. "You understand how important being a hero is to me – and perhaps that is because you have dreams about becoming a hero as well?" he asked.

Cloud drew a deep breath and clung to the railings surrounding the bleachers – hanging on for dear life. A pained sigh escaped from his lips as he pressed the phone to his ear and said, "No, you've got it wrong. I don't want to be a hero to the people like you do. There was a time when I thought I wanted that…but I changed my mind, and I've decided that I would rather be the hero who keeps watch over his friends and…comes to their aid when they need help. _That_ is the kind of hero I want to be."

"Oh, is it?"Genesis shook his head. It was disappointing to him that Cloud did not share his ambitions and dreams, but he could relate to how his young ingénue felt, for he had offered to be Hollander's lab rat in exchange for freedom for Sephiroth.

As he waited for Cloud's response, he gazed at the ceiling and thought about how relieved Sephiroth had been when Director Lazard had come to his friend and told him that he would no longer be required to see Professor Hojo multiple times each week. He recalled how the general had shaken the Director's hand with infinite gratitude in his eyes, and how it had seemed as though an immense burden had been lifted off his best friend's shoulders for the rest of the day. He smiled through his back pain as he remembered how the silver-haired man had laughed at his jokes and celebrated by taking him and Angeal out for dinner made him smile. And as he sank back onto his rock hard pillow, he felt a sense of peace and finality. _I have no regrets about what I did,_ he told himself. _It was worth it, because it's kept Seph safe! And if Hojo tries to resume torturing Seph after Hollander dies, I will offer to do it again,_ he swore.

"I understand why you feel the way you do, Private Strife," he said at last to get Cloud talking again. "And I respect your selfless point of view. It is very rare to find a cadet who has such strong character, and I hope that you will stand by your ideals when cowardly people, like Zack the Puppy –"

"Zack is _not_ a coward, and if you took the time to get to know him, I am certain that you would start to like him," Cloud rebutted, much to Genesis' amusement and Sephiroth's chagrin. "I think –"

 _I think this conversation has gone on long enough,_ the general decided. _I have a meeting I need to attend in twenty minutes and I will need my cell phone with me._ "The two of you need to wrap it up," he bossily informed Cloud. "The commander needs his rest, SOLDIER 1st Class Fair needs to review the company's drug and alcohol policy, and you need to read his evaluation and work hard to improve yourself! You have multiple technique issues that you need to fix before the exams, and I would like to see some effort on your part to practice before I leave this room. Un. Der. Stand?!"

Genesis made a wry face as Sephiroth carried on. "If someone talked to me that way, I would tell them to 'piss off' and then take my time finishing up my phone call," he whispered, as though he were sharing a great secret with someone. "However…I would not recommend that you do that. He does not react well to cadets swearing at him and has a tendency to expel them from Shinra."

His sarcastic humor, unfortunately, failed to elicit a laugh from Cloud.

The boy said, "I'll come visit you at the hospital later today. But now I've got to go!" and hastily got off the phone. Genesis sighed melodramatically as Cloud handed the cell phone to Sephiroth, who cleared his throat officiously to command his attention.

The terminally ill 1st rolled his eyes. "I plan on returning to work in two days, Seph," he told his boss. "I don't want my work to stack up at the office."

"Wait."Sephiroth got up and limped into one of the adjacent side rooms. He peered out the window at Zack and Cloud and softly said, "Do not worry about it. Take a week off if you need to, Genesis. I have found a qualified temp to organize your paperwork for you while you are on sick leave, and I would recommend not coming in until you look and feel 100% better or Scarlet and the other Board members will throw you under the bus. You need to be able to show them that you have fully recovered from your injuries if we are to convince them that you are qualified to lead the mission in Wutai. You –"

"You would be better off sending Angeal. Or going on the mission yourself, Seph." Genesis unhappily murmured – dismayed that his friend seemed hell bent on pursuing this. He had finally coming to terms with the fact that his chances of being sent to Wutai were all but zero now, and felt too spent to go through an emotional, long-drawn out battle with the Board members. "The Board members hate me and will demand Lazard send another 1st, and I do not think the spineless Director is fond of me either. He acts as though he wants to forget that I exist and ignores me whenever I make suggestions. Pressuring them to send me will be a lost cause, and it will just generate even more negative publicity for the company and for myself; I'm sick and tired of turning on the TV and seeing my misfortune talked about on the news…and I would rather not hear the reporters excitedly talk about my big fight with the Director. And besides…" His voice was suddenly weary and strained. "Who would send a sickly-looking SOLDIER with a broken leg and an agitated back?"

Sephiroth smashed his palm against the wall in disbelief. He had never heard his fiery friend sound so defeatist before and listening to him talk that way made him even more determined than ever to see that the Board members gave Genesis the mission that he _deserved_. His visage became cruel as he crushed his cell phone in his hand and stubbornly said, "Your leg will be healed by then; you're a SOLDIER and heal five times faster than an unenhanced human being, and don't even suggest that Angeal and I accept this mission! Angeal has already told Director Lazard that he wants nothing to do with it, and if it is offered to me, I will turn it down, and turn every other assignment down that makes its way to my desk until they pull their heads out of their asses and give the mission to you. If they do not place you in charge of that mission…all work will come to a halt around here while I go on strike! And losing their general is not a risk that they would be willing to take!"

On the other end of the line, Genesis buried his face in his hands. He knew that Sephiroth would not hesitate to make good his threats and the zealousness with which his friend was carrying out his crusade alarmed and appalled him. "I – think that you should reconsider your plan," he told his friend. "What you're proposing to do will backfire on you and penalize everyone else if you follow through with it. I appreciate you standing up for me, but I think that it would be best if we both write this up as the mission that got away and focus on other opportunities. Sooner or later, another assignment like this will come my way again, and when it does, I'll go before the Board members and drag Scarlet over the coals myself if she tries to question my credentials. I am –"

"Genesis!"

Genesis smiled sadly. "I'm resigned, Seph," he said. "Please do not try to force the Board members to give me this mission. I can wait."

"But I –" Sephiroth protested.

"I will turn the mission down if it is offered to me, Seph," Genesis firmly said, and his tone was final, "because I know that I will not be well enough to fulfill my responsibilities in Wutai. You see, Seph, I'm…"

 _I'm not regenerating,_ he choked.

As Sephiroth impatiently whispered the words, "Well…?" Genesis closed his eyes and subconsciously pressed a hand to his throbbing left shoulder. He winced as his thumb fluttered over the cut that he had received nearly two weeks ago, and froze - worrying that it would take the cuts on his arms as long to heal as it was taking his shoulder injury. He thought about all the potions and medicines that had been applied to his wound to no avail and wondered if Hojo had been speaking the truth when he had cheerfully confided to him that it would take him much longer than his friends to heal, because he had received fewer mako treatments than they had. His ears buzzed and stomach ached as he recalled how the mad Professor had gleefully told him that the Director had ordered Hollander to give him weaker doses of mako in order to hold him back and keep him from making progress.

" _We cannot have you steal the spotlight from our general and win a science award for Hollander,"_ he heard the twisted little man cackle in his ears, as he smiled artificially into the phone and said, "I'm – sorry. I can't remember what I wanted to say to you! I completely lost my train of thought!" in a tone of forced confidence. "I'm distracted at the moment by the TV in the background and the medication that I'm taking is making me sleepy. I think that it would be best if I let you go and got some rest!"

"I think that you should quit channel surfing," was Sephiroth's stern reply. "You are only going to make yourself miserable if you listen to them talking about you on the news. What show are you watching?"

His question was met with silence. "Hospital programming," Genesis finally said. "They are playing the lunch menu on the TV. Isn't that convenient?"

"Yes….it is." Sephiroth raised the volume on his cell phone and listened for the sound of a TV in the background. He could not hear anything, and he felt his suspicions rise. Genesis had never been deceitful with him before and he hoped that the auburn-haired man was not about to start lying to him. After what had happened with Angeal, he knew that he would not be able to withstand another betrayal. "What channel?"

"Hospital programming channel! It is the standard channel that you get when you turn on the TV," Genesis cryptically replied, much to Sephiroth's frustration. "Is there a reason that this is so important to you?" he icily answered, his suspicions now aroused.

"No – I was merely curious," Sephiroth evasively answered. "You…have a good day, Genesis," he awkwardly said, on his way back into the simulation room. "And you gather up your things," he barked at Cloud and Zack. "Pick up all your trash and check to make sure the control room doors are locked. I want this room restored to the condition it was in before you showed up," he snapped. "And don't even think about asking if you can have your Summon back, because you have demonstrated that you are not responsible enough to be trusted with it – and Genesis has expressed an interest in having it," he cruelly added, as he swept past them and stormed into the hallway. "Your mentor told me that…"

… _He doesn't want the mission that I'm willing to fight tooth and nail to get for him,_ he lamented, once the simulation room door had clicked shut behind him. _And that he will decline it if the Director offers it to him, because he doesn't think that he should lead it with a broken leg…an agitated back…and…_

"…Who knows what else," he whispered in horror.


	29. In Evil's Sanctum

** Chapter Twenty-Nine - In Evil's Sanctum **

Cloud frowned at Zack as they maneuvered their way through gridlocked traffic. "Are you sure you want to subject yourself to this?" he anxiously asked his companion once they were outside the doors of the ER. "The commander's not going to be happy to see you, and is gonna make his displeasure known!" he dryly said, mildly irritated that Zack had insisted on accompanying him to the military hospital after his friend had spent the better part of the afternoon ranting about the things that "good old GR" had done to him. "Perhaps it'd be best if you dropped me off and came back for me in an hour. That way you wouldn't have to sit through fun times with Genesis."

Zack pulled up alongside the curb and gave Cloud the thumbs up sign. "No, it's okay. I don't mind being here," he said as he unlocked the passenger side door and motioned for Cloud to hop out. "Cissnei told me that Hojo works at this hospital, and I don't want you to find yourself in a situation with him. You need someone to watch your back and keep Commander Asshat in line."

Cloud rolled his eyes and hopped out. He turned around, pointed exasperatedly to a security vehicle parked outside the hospital and said, "That's what Genesis has First Sergeant for."

"Wait. Angeal's here?" Zack hissed and leaned out his window. He stared warily at the four wheel drive that his spiky-haired buddy was pointing at and felt his jaw drop to the floor. "You've gotta be kidding me! That car has a vanity plate…with the words _'pride 'n honor'_ on it," he squawked - spectacularly unimpressed that his mentor had taken his obsession with morality so far. "And those 'dreams 'n integrity' stickers are messed up," he added, when Cloud called his attention to the decorations that Angeal had put all over his windshield. "They. Are. Disturbing."

"Very," Cloud agreed. "Why don't you tell him that? I'm sure he'd like to know his bumper stickers are frightening you to death."

He went behind Zack's car and popped open the trunk. He took the bag that he had brought Genesis out of the trunk, swung it over his shoulder, and bristled as he got his first real good look at the medical facility where his mentor was being treated. His lips parted as his eyes roved over shuttered windows, barred doors and barbed wire fences. And his face fell as police officers drove up to the building and glared at him. _I feel like I'm walking into the city prison,_ he lamented, as he found himself staring at hearses, sandwiched in between the hospital and the morgue one door over. Garbage rotting in the street. Homeless people sleeping in the alley. Children playing with glass. And flies devouring the body of a dead bird in the gutter. "I'm gonna head into the Penitentiary, and find out who the hell's visiting Genesis while you find a better place to park," he grimly announced after his eyes had adjusted to the unwelcoming, uninviting sight. "If there are a bunch of people hanging out in his room, I'm going to turn around, come back down to the car, and we can go catch dinner together…or go treasure hunting in the Slums. I want to sit down and talk to Genesis - and I won't be able to do that with an audience."

Zack reached out and put a hand on his shoulder as he passed by the driver side window. "No, don't come back out! Chillax in the waiting room if there's a crowd, and I'll hang tight with ya until everyone decides to go home," he heard the older boy loudly say. "Genesis had a window fall on him! He's been royally screwed over by Hojo and Hollander, and could really use a friend like you right now! I think that you should stick around and wait it out! Seeing you and Angeal'll cheer him up and brighten his day. And next thing you know, he'll be back to his mean old nasty self, Spike!"

Cloud gave Zack an appreciative look. "Thanks," he whispered with gratitude in his voice. "I appreciate it. Hearing you say that means a lot to me. Especially since I know how much you can't stand being around His Majesty."

"You're welcome," the 1st amiably replied. "And I'm gonna leave the car where it is. I think that where I parked it's just fine."

Cloud groaned as his best friend emerged from his car and attempted to ruffle his hair. He knocked Zack's hand away and scooted up the steps to avoid any additional assaults on his meticulously spiked bangs. Zack grinned sheepishly at him as he gestured to the police officers patrolling the building and motioned to the pedestrians milling around them. _Put. Your. Goddamn. Hands. In. Your. Pocket and keep them to yourself!_ he wanted to shout at Zack. _People are gonna think that we're too weird to go inside and turn us away from seeing Genesis!_ he inwardly raged at Zack when a stern-looking security guard turned to look at them with raised brows.

Zack waved cheerfully at the guard and herded his indignant companion into the building. They headed to the receiving area to wait for Cissnei, who had made pre-arranged plans with Zack to meet them, and escort them to Genesis' room. Zack plopped down in a chair and helped himself to the candy that the hospital left out for families. Cloud watched as his friend gobbled up handful after handful of mints, and stuffed the extras into his pocket. His eyes filled with wonder as the 1st pawed happily through a stack of sports magazines and played with toys in the kids' corner. _You can make the shittiest places seem like home,_ he thought, as Zack wrapped an arm around him and said, "Hey, are you all right? You seem a little wound up and you're not usually this quiet when you're with me. Is everything okay? I didn't embarrass you back there with the guard, did I? 'Cause if I did, I want you to know that I –"

"You don't need to apologize." Cloud softly replied. "What you did annoyed me, but it didn't get under my skin. You're my friend, Zack."

"Then what are you worried about?" Zack wanted to know.

Cloud fixed pensive blue eyes upon Zack. "I'm worried about Genesis, and…I'm concerned that things are going to go badly when we walk into his room!" he said to the other boy, after checking to make sure that they were the only ones in the waiting room. "You seem like you've lightened up on him, but I don't think he's ready yet to lighten up on you, 'cause he was ranting about you on the phone, and…everything good that I've said about you has fallen on deaf ears! I've tried and tried to convince him to take the time to get to know you and look beyond past history, but he always tells me, 'Hell no! I don't want to do that.' And he loves to say stuff like, 'Zack shut an elevator door in my face.' 'Zack started a rumor about me behind my back!' and 'Zack's been acting like a nasty and possessive little puppy, and I recommend you cut ties with him now while you have the chance, Cloud.'"

Zack felt his stomach twist up in knots as Cloud paraphrased what Genesis had said. He sat on his hands so Cloud would not see his fingers curl up in anger, lowered his eyes and looked away. _Yeah,_ he conceded. _He's right. I have been acting like an envious, green-eyed monster. I went AWOL on everyone during orientation week, because I couldn't stand the thought of Him instructing Spike, and everything that I've said about Him, since I've been back, has been harsh and negative. God, it –_

"It sucks to hear Genesis's saying stuff like that," he whispered. "But I can understand why he's doing it. He and I have clashed in the past, and I've been acting like a dick about this whole mentorship arrangement. I've said some things I shouldn't have said, been jealous 'n unsupportive, and haven't treated you like a true friend should!"

Cloud held his hand up, indicating that he didn't want to hear anymore. As far as he was concerned, Zack had not let him down, and there was nothing to apologize for. "Have you?" he quietly questioned the black-haired boy. "I never felt like you were being a bad friend to me. Whenever you ranted about him, I always felt like you were trying to protect me. I didn't see it as you being jealous. Or being a dick."

Zack rolled his eyes.

"Well, I was a dick," he persisted. "I dropped off the face of the earth during training, 'cause I was pissed, but anyway. I want you to know that I am sorry for the trouble I've caused you. And for acting like a real jerk. If there's anything I can do to make it up to you, please lemme know?" he asked, sliding forward in his chair and looking pointedly at his buddy.

He gazed at Cloud intently, wanting his eyes to convey what he was having a hard time putting into words. He became tense as he felt Cloud's fingers snake through his own and tighten. As Cloud squeezed his hand tightly to show that there was no ill will between them, he sat back and wondered why his Spiky-haired friend wasn't wigging out on him. _I woulda been unhappy if someone 'fessed up they'd been a dick to me,_ he thought, as he turned to Cloud and said, "Are you sure you aren't mad at me?"

Cloud smiled at him. "Yeah, I'm sure!" he answered. "And really, it's okay. You didn't do anything wrong and don't need to make it up to me. However…it'd mean a lot to me if you'd be supportive when Genesis finds out about…you know what."

Zack returned the smile. "I'll give him all the support he needs; what he's going through is rough," he immediately said, without any hesitation, "but do you think that what you and I will be able to give him will be enough? He's gonna be pissed as all get out when he finds out what's going on, and he's a very emotional kind of guy. It might be better if people he trusts broke the news to him and helped him. Sephiroth and Angeal –"

"Sephiroth must not know, Zack." Cloud passionately replied, eyes blazing as he slapped the palms of his hands against his knees. He drew himself up in his chair and folded his arms – convinced that things would go to hell if the General became involved. "He would take matters into his own hands and run off to pick a fight with the wrong people. Or fire you and expel me. Please don't say anything to him. And avoid him if possible."

Zack replied, "Don't worry, I won't go near him. I don't want him at our throats. However…I think First Sergeant should know what's going on, and I'd like to know when you plan on telling him."

Cloud shuddered at Zack's words. He had not yet decided how he would approach Angeal with the disturbing files that they'd found, and felt put on the spot. His lips tightened and irises narrowed as Zack stared him down with urgency and concern in his eyes.

Zack scooted towards Cloud. He felt the hair on the back of Cloud's neck rise in discomfort at his proximity as he closed the distance between them. "I think you should tell him the truth ASAP," he announced. "I woulda said wait to tell him before, but I've thought about the things you told me, and changed my mind. He deserves to know that someone screwed him and his friends over. And I feel like shit lying to him and telling him that everything's fine."

"I don't like lying to him either, Zack," Cloud reluctantly said, "but I'm afraid he may take it badly or get the general involved. You know how he feels about honor and keeping secrets from people. He –"

"He won't say a thing," Zack rebutted with equally intense conviction in his voice. "If you ask him not to repeat a secret, he'll respect that. Even if the secret's really terrible. I've told him some really bad personal shit about myself, and it's stayed between us, and not gone anywhere. You can trust him with _anything_."

Cloud folded his arms. "Can I? This is –"

" – Stupid," Zack reproachfully said. He thrust Cloud out before him, holding his shoulders and bending down for eye contact. "You're making assumptions about someone whom you barely know, and you keep on mistrusting people who should know. But no, you don't do that; instead, you say, 'No, I don't trust Angeal!' and 'We can't take the chance. He'll take it badly.'

"You say you want to help him, but your actions, or rather inactions, contradicts you. You avoid answering my questions when I ask for additional information and you force me to figure stuff out for myself. You tone things down for me - so I won't worry about Angeal – and it's driving me crazy. I need you to understand, Cloud: you can depend on me!" Zack exclaimed, gripping Cloud's shoulders tighter in an effort to really get Cloud to understand him. "I don't need or want you to shelter me. And for that, you must trust me and communicate with me. The way things're going right now…

… _fucking sucks, Cloud –"_

"I'm…sorry," Cloud swallowed hard as Zack's words cut him to the quick.

For a moment he did not know what to think, or what to say. Zack had never talked to him this way before, and it crushed him to have his _friend, protector and hero_ voice his disapproval of him. Being told that he was undermining his good intentions stung him, and Zack's comment about him forcing him to figure things out for himself confused him and filled him with dread. _I hope he's not saying that I forced him to take extra risks to verify things,_ he winced, blood running cold at the thought. "I – apologize," he said, at last, his modest sense of pride crumbling. "I didn't realize I was doing this. I thought we were on the same wavelength but I guess I was wrong. From now on, things'll be different between you and me. Communication'll be better, and I'll be honest with you about everything. Promise."

Zack knit his brows as Cloud pulled away from him and withdrew into himself. He leaned forward in his chair, put his hand on his Spiky-haired buddy's arm and gently poked him, regretting that he had spoken so harshly to him. "Hey, Cloud, don't let what I said get to you okay?" he reassuringly murmured, while his fingers ghosted over his companion's skin. "I feel bad about speaking to you that way, but something needed to be said. Would you mind telling me, now that we've worked things out, why you don't trust Angeal? I still don't understand why you don't feel comfortable with talking to him. What're you afraid is gonna happen? Are you afraid –"

"I'm afraid he'll flip out when he learns he's barely human," Cloud hissed in his ear. "People who have the bitch in their bodies become more and more monster-like as time passes. Genesis has started to change, and Angeal eventually will too."

Zack opened his mouth and gaped at him. "I – don't understand," the 1st stammered, eyes narrowing and face paling. "What makes you think that's going to happen to them? Tell _me_. I need to know."

Cloud shivered and drew his legs in, bringing them up to his chest. He wrapped his arms around his knees, stared miserably at the wall, and wondered whether he should do the unthinkable and tell his friend the _truth_ about Sephiroth. His mission. And Genesis and Angeal. _If I tell him what's going on, he'll flip out on me,_ he thought with a shiver, _and if I don't, we'll be back to where we were when we weren't communicating with each other! Only this time, it will be worse than before, 'cos I'll have broken my promise to him. I'll -_ "I'll tell you everything," he said, voice dropping so low that even Zack, with his Mako-enhanced hearing had a hard time hearing him. "But I'm afraid you'll think that I'm insane and say, 'Okay, I've had enough. I'm not gonna participate in Cloud's craziness anymore. I'm done listening to him talk about angels, time-travel, and mad scientists performing experiments on our friends.'"

_ Angels? Time-travel? What the fuck, Cloud?  _ Zack blinked. Out loud, however, he said, "You've lost me. I'm confused. What does time-travel have to do with the stuff that's happening to Angeal? Am I gonna have to figure things out for myself again?"

Cloud grimaced as his friend's lips thinned with displeasure. "No, you won't," he reassured the older boy, heart beating wildly as Zack's voice rose. "I'll tell you everything. But I can't tell you what's going on in a hospital! After we're done here, I'll take you to the Gainsboroughs' house, and we'll sit down and talk!" he desperately said, hoping that Aeris would be able to help him convince Zack that he was telling the truth. "How does that sound?"

Zack's expression softened. "Count me in," he replied, content with Cloud's answer. "I'll be there."

Cloud raised his head and gazed at Zack with big, incredulous eyes. "You sound so calm," he softly said, amazed that Zack wasn't flipping out on him. "Didn't the things I say sound…?"

"Batshit insane? Yea, they sure did," Zack admitted, not pulling any punches. "However…you've been right about everything else so far, so I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt. For now," he whispered, as he reached for Cloud and reeled him in. He pressed his stricken-looking friend to his chest and rocked him gently, hoping that he could make him forget his fear and uncertainty. "Maybe there is such a thing as time travel. Maybe there're angels," he continued, trying to make himself believe. "Time travel sure as hell would explain how the Freak found her way here to bother us, and we really could use a guardian angel right now, Cloud. Cloud…?"

"Yes?" Cloud questioned.

He looked bleakly at Zack, doubting that he would be so understanding when the full truth came out at Aeris' place. Zack had repeatedly told him that he did not believe in reincarnation, and his friend seemed to think that Angeal was the most trustworthy person in the world and incapable of doing any wrong. Telling Zack that they were trying to prevent his idol from turning into an emotionally unstable monster would not go over well, and he suspected that their trip down memory lane would end with angry words - hurt feelings - and Zack storming out of the Church, convinced that he was a raving lunatic and Aeris was an evil witch. Moisture appeared on his brow as he prepared himself for the worst, and Zack saw despair and fear of impending loss in his irises as he turned to him and smiled at him, weakly. "I'm here, Zack, I'm listening," he wearily said. "Just sitting here, thinking about how hard this'll be. I have no way of proving some of this stuff to you, and you have no reason to trust Aeris. Why should you think she's the real deal, and not a fake?"

Zack stiffened at the question. "I – don't think she's fake," he evasively replied.

"But you don't know her," Cloud pointed out. "Are you basing your opinion of her off things I've told you about her?"

Zack slouched in his seat. "No, I'm not. I felt like I wasn't getting the answers I needed, so I paid a little visit to the Slums while you were in class and staked out her place. Monitored who went in and out, then followed up with those people, Zack-style," he groaned, praying that his friend would not ask him for full details. Cloud would blow his top if he told him that "following up with people" had entailed hacking into Cissnei's computer – reading her files on Aeris – and attempting to break into Tseng's PC. "I got the proof I needed, high-tailed it back to headquarters, and collapsed when I returned to my pad."

"You shouldn't have done that," Cloud started with alarm. "You're too high profile."

_ Really?  _ Zack laughed at that comment. "Not as high profile as you are, Spike," he impishly informed Cloud. "These days, you're really generating waves. Your instructors think that you're kick butt. Kevin Gillett found out about your mad skills, and has been shitting his pants, and everyone says you're great."

"Uh-huh. Suuure," Cloud sounded unconvinced. "Are you _sure_ you didn't do anything to call attention to yourself in the Slums?"

_ Yes, absolutely sure -  _ Zack nodded. The Turks had ignored him and the keen-eyed peddlers had avoided him. He had been inconspicuous – unappealing - and unassuming, and hoped that Cloud wouldn't obsess over what he had done. "I was a fly on a wall," he soothed. "Nobody noticed me. You have nothing to sweat about, Spike. I was careful. Don'tcha trust me, _Cloud_?"

Cloud glanced sheepishly at the floor. "Yeah. I do," he whispered, aware now that he had been dwelling on mistakes that Zack had made, holding them against him, and using them as justification not to trust him. "You're a _1st_ and the best goddamn _friend_ in the world," he fiercely said, with remorse and embarrassment in his voice. "I –" – _am sorry it took me so long to see who you've become! –_ "trust you, Zack."

_ With some things, not with others. But that's understandable. It's gonna take some time, Spiky, for you to figure out what you're comfortable with, and what you're not. Midgar wasn't founded in a day, and trust isn't built over night, if you know what I mean!  _ Zack wordlessly returned, sighing heavily as Cloud stiffly turned to him. He felt Cloud shudder in his arms, and shook his head – assuming that he had upset his chocobo-headed buddy with his loaded, defensive-sounding question. As they looked up at each other, he cupped the back of Cloud's head with his hands, and smiled to show that he was not angry. Or offended. Or hurt. "Stop beating yourself up over boo boos we've made," he commanded, fearing that they were about to have Crisis: Guilt Trip Mode on their hands, "and quit thinking about what I said. Chill. Lax. And quit furrowing your brows like that! If you keep frowning like that, that hot-looking nurse over there is gonna think that you're a gloomy guss and not ask you out on a date."

Cloud rolled his eyes as said nurse strutted past them, flirtatiously wiggling her ass. "I wasn't thinking about previous mistakes," he simply stated, glaring at the obnoxious woman as she disappeared around the corner. "Too much going on to think about that."

"Then what were you thinking about?" Zack asked. "You looked like something was getting under your skin. Were you thinking about Genesis?"

_ No!  _ Cloud shook his head. _I wasn't._ "I was thinking about what we should do with Angeal," he cautiously replied, face becoming blank and unreadable as Zack's eyes bore down upon him, "and I think that –"

"Spike, we need to –" "We should –"

" – tell him what's going on and help him cope with what he's been done to him," Cloud gravely answered, lowering his eyes as the black-haired boy stared incredulously at him. He heard the breath hitch in Zack's throat, and started as his friend grabbed him.

Long suppressed emotions surfaced within him as he found himself turned around and pressed against his friend. Relief, hope and desperation surged through him as they made eye contact. Gentle, reassuring fingers settled on his forehead as the overwhelming emotions racing through him numbed his senses, dimming his awareness of what was going on around him. The world seemed to shrink in size as Zack beamed at him, ruffled his hair and gazed at him with warmth and adoration in his eyes. Insurmountable challenges suddenly felt very possible as Zack smiled tenderly at him, offering him unconditional devotion and trust. _We – can do this,_ he thought – eyes hardening and resolve rising as he saw for the first time, the extent of Zack's friendship. _I don't know how, but I'll – no, **you'll** \- find a way to_ _make things work with Angeal,_ he decided, realizing that he could trust Zack with such huge responsibility. "If you like," he proposed at length, "we could take Angeal to the Church?"

Zack winced at his friend's suggestion. _"After_ I've talked to him, sure!" he replied officiously with force becoming a person of his rank. "But _not_ before. I want to break the bad news to him _privately_. If I tell him what's going on in front of you and your friend, it'll make him feel like shit."

"Okay then," Cloud said, nodding uneasily as his sensitive ears picked up the sound of people approaching their room. "Not the Church – I agree. But _where then_? I need to know if you plan on telling him about this mess today or….

…tomorrow," he trailed off, sensing that they had run out of time. "I think - ."

" - The two of you should tell us what you are _giggling_ about in the corner," a sickly sweet voice cooed, causing both boys to stiffen and look at the door in unhappy surprise. "It's not nice to keep secrets from your doctor - instructor - and intelligence expert! If you would be so kind as to share...?"

"No. Thank . You. I'd rather **_not_** share our 'joke' you." Cloud shot back, narrowing his eyes as Cissnei, Angeal and the man whom had ruined his life filed into the receiving room. The hair on his neck rose up as the oily Professor slid into the seat beside him, lowered his glasses, and gazed at him. Anger surged through him as the little man inspected his skin, eyeballed his muscular arms and legs, and clucked his tongue approvingly at what he saw. The unpleasant sound resonated in his ears as memories clamored within him, throwing him into a state of turmoil. The good feeling that Zack had generated evaporated, fading away, as he juxtaposed needles, cages, and cryogenic capsules over the couches and chairs surrounding them. Imaginary cutting tools and toxic truth serums bore down upon him as Hojo grinned apeishly at him - pinched his shoulder - and playfully prodded him. Disgust raced through his body as the Professor smacked his lips in his face, forcing him to get up close and personal with his uneven, yellowed teeth. And the sight of Hojo making cute little kissy-faces at him nearly caused him to lose control and beat the old man senseless. _Get. Out. Of. My. Face. You. Bastard,_ he raged when the Professor started to force him out of his chair. _I. Don't. Like. You -_

"Go to hell," he mouthed. He rose to his feet, glared at Hojo and looked him directly in the eye. "Space. Please," he said in his coldest voice.

Hojo laughed at him for good measure - not the least bit put off by such disdainful behavior - and turned to Zack. "Your friend is charming," the monster commented at length, voice gushing with contrived affection and paternalism. "But a bit young for Shinra? Perhaps it would be best if he wait...a year or two. Children tend to find Shinra to be...very challenging. Many of them find the challenges to be insurmountable and go running back to their families with their tails tucked between their legs. I hope that your little friend doesn't turn out to be one of the _failed_ experiments!"

Zack thrust out his jaw and grinned nastily at the Professor. His face darkened and he looked pointedly at the table to let Hojo know that he thought that someone should smash his head against it. "His name is _Cloud,_ " he acidically said to Angeal and Cloud's dismay, "and he is very _talented_. He's one of the best damn fighters I've ever seen, and is gonna - "

" - work hard to prepare for the entrance exams," Angeal exclaimed, hastily planting himself between the Professor and his bristling young protégée. He stared pointedly at Cloud, put his hands on the boy's shoulders and quietly said, "I want you to get together with Zack tonight and practice. You have _a lot_ of work you need to do. I've watched you and Genesis spar, and...you still need to master many of the basic concepts. Your technique. Is..."

_ That bad?  _ Cloud frowned and glanced at Hojo, who was smirking at him knowingly. He felt the Professor's eyes rove over him, and realized that Hojo was inspecting him - thinking about ways to manipulate him - and isolate him from his friends. Memories of time spent in a cold, dark stasis tube rose to the fore as Hojo's arm snaked around his shoulders, and he felt every muscle in his chest go tight when he heard the disgusting man say, "I can help as well. Schedule an appointment with me, _Cloud,_ and we can work on your conditioning. I normally don't have time to see people around exam time, but I would be _glad_ to make an exception for you. A student of Genesis' gets special treatment."

Cloud stared incredulously at Hojo, appalled by what he was saying. He pulled away from the grizzled old man, headed for the door, and prayed the Professor would not follow. "I don't need your help, Doctor Hojo," he snapped on his way out, "and I don't want it. Or anything to do with you. I want to _earn_ the right to be in SOLDIER. Not have you _hand_ everything to me."

Hojo stilled and stared after him as he swept past. Cissnei and Zack watched anxiously as the Professor's eyes hardened and face became stony. Angeal shifted about uncomfortably behind them, torn between intervening and letting Cloud put Hojo in his place. Concern for the boy's well-being won, and he stepped forward, planting himself between Hojo and Cloud. He shook his head, to indicate he disapproved of such disrespectful behavior, and held up his hands placatingly. He knew that Hojo loved to have his ego stroked, and resorted now to sweet-talk, reinforcing the sadistic little man's sense of importance. "We appreciate the offer, Professor," he said, at length, somehow managing to force out the words. "It's very generous of you! However...it's _too much_. We wouldn't feel right about taking up _your_ time with something like this. I will meet with the boy and see what I can do to help him. We have...a few things we need to talk about," he trailed off, chest tightening at the thought of confronting Cloud and Zack about hacking into peoples' computers - withholding information from him - and putting their lives at risk...for _his sake._ "Don't we, _Cloud?"_

"Yes, sir..." Cloud simply replied.

He nodded to show compliance and fell silent, becoming distant and remote. Cissnei looked him over nervously, sensing that there was something different about him. Having been forced to grow up over night by her family, she knew all too well what it was like to be robbed of one's childhood, and wondered what hardships Zack's young friend had endured. She and Zack exchanged glances, and the hopeless sigh the black-haired boy gave her confirmed her suspicions. She swallowed nervously, wishing that she had not wondered, and Hojo decided at that very moment to laugh and wave a hand in front of Cloud's face to let him know that everyone thought that he was acting like an autistic savant. Hojo's attempt to provoke him elicited naught, but a shrug, but the way Angeal glowered at him with strained blue eyes made him feel as though he was about to be brought in for interrogation, and made his skin crawl. _I should've kept my fucking mouth shut and let Hojo shit all over the room!_ he fumed, as their eyes met and he saw confusion - disappointment - and horror in the older man's eyes. _Now Angeal thinks I'm rude and possess poor judgment,_ he frowned, hoping that this would not affect what the 1st thought of him when he and Zack told him the Truth about Shinra.

"Can I go see Genesis?" he asked, at the limits of his patience now. "It's getting late."

"Of course, of course," Hojo patronizingly replied. "You need to practice for the exams...and I need to run a few tests before I leave for the day. The samples I've been studying," he added, with a sidelong glance at Angeal, "are fascinating. Quite remarkable if you ask me."

"Which room?" Cloud sighed, and the abrasive way in which he spoke to Hojo made everyone in the room think of Genesis.

"21, 4th floor, my child!" Hojo twittered. "Fastest way would be the stairs. They lead directly up to the area he's in, my boy."

He clasped his hands together and smiled as they hurried out of the room, understanding now why the Commander was willing to bend over backwards for Cloud and foster his talent. Personality-wise, they were very much alike, and the boy no doubt drew Genesis in with his confidence and hard work ethic. Realizing how close they were made Hojo even more determined to alienate the boy from his mentor, and use Cloud to gather information on _Shinra's Finest 1sts._ Fearing that his window of opportunity to corrupt the boy was closing, he got up, and followed the party, trailing them from a distance. Cloud, as he'd predicted, found it awkward to walk up a recently cleaned flight of stairs in his heavy military boots, and trailed behind. The others were soon out of earshot, and Cloud was left alone on the stairs...vulnerable...perfect for the taking...and unaware that Hojo was lying in wait for him.

The blond reached out to open a door, leading to the second floor, and...

...staggered back, in unpleasant surprise, as the person whom he hated most emerged from the shadows, with arms outstretched.

"I don't have time to talk now," Cloud said, lowering his head to avoid eye contact. He attempted to scoot under Hojo's arm, but the wily Professor would have none of that, and positioned his body so that he filled up the entire doorway. "I have a friend I need to see. This - "

" - will only take a moment," Hojo soothed. He forced Cloud's palm open and slid a prescription bottle into the young cadet's hand. Cloud gave him a withering look, and Hojo swallowed hard, biting his tongue. He watched with wonder as the boy held the bottle out to him, demanding he take it back, and when Cloud tried to thrust it back into his hands, his lips twisted into a sneer, and his paternal-mask fell. "I know you want to see your mentor, but give me a moment; **_listen_** to me...I'm concerned about you," he faltered, struggling to recover. "I want to see you get into SOLDIER. I want you to succeed - but that's not going to happen if you refuse to 'have anything to do with me'. You lack strength. You don't have any muscle. You don't have the body type the examiners are looking for. If you were to walk into that exam room, the way you are now...you would have a difficult time passing. However...if you were to have me helping you...it would be an entirely different matter. You see, I'm a very important and influential person."

Cloud set the prescription bottle aside, since Hojo was unwilling to take it back. "I see something that could get me expelled," he flatly told Hojo. "Performance enhancing drugs are against the rules."

Hojo patted Cloud on the arm. You are right, they are - he whispered - but you have to be caught with them in order to get in trouble, and none of the boys whom he had prescribed performance enhancers to in the past had ever been caught. Doctors have ways of masking steroid use - Kevin Gillett uses steroids all the time - and you are smarter and cleverer than he is, he reassured Cloud. I just know a smart boy like you will slip under the radar. "Sweet child, you have nothing to worry about," Hojo purred. "Abso-lute-ly nothing. Relax."

_ Oh Planet, what did I ever do to deserve this,  _ Cloud shuddered, knowing that it was going to get even worse. He put his back to the wall and started to slowly slide towards the door. Turning his back to Hojo was out of the question with the Professor showing such an unhealthy interest in him, and so was storming through the door. Storming out would make Hojo think that he was intimidated by him, which he was not, and arouse the Professor's suspicions, and suspicions would lead to Questions like: _"Why do you dislike me, Cloud? I've never done anything bad to you. We just met for the first time today. Has Genesis been making up stories about me? What bad things has he told you about me?" "Why do you keep refusing to let me help you? Is it that important to you to 'earn the right to be in SOLDIER'? Can't you accept help from anyone?"_

As it was, Hojo seemed to think something was up, for he said: "I don't understand you. You'll accept help from Genesis but not from me? Why am I _different?_ "

_ Because you ruined my life, and I'll never trust you!  _ Cloud thought. Out loud, though, he said, "I didn't want Genesis' help either. But he insisted on mentoring me."

Hojo paused, carefully considering the information. He heaved a sigh, hating to be the conveyor of bad news. It would hurt the boy deeply to learn that his much-idolized mentor was an asshole who was using him for his own personal gain... but the truth needed to be told. It would be extremely cruel to let the boy continue to think that Genesis gave a rat's ass about him.

Think about what you just said, the sly Professor cautioned Cloud, you just called him a "friend"; do you really believe that he sees you as such? You might think that there's an element of friendship between you two, but in reality, it's a one-way street.

"Genesis, you see, hates cadets," he explained "truthfully." "He thinks that they're obnoxious little brats and wants nothing to do with them. The only thing cadets are good for is making him look good when people question his ability to get along with his co-workers. Mentoring them makes his superiors think that he can play nicely in the sandbox with others. You are nothing but a means to an end to him, and I feel sorry for you, because he's blind-sided you for so long and made you think that he likes and respects you."

I, however, he swore, am your friend. A real friend. Not a fake friend like Genesis. I truly want to help you and he doesn't. When you've outlived your usefulness to him, or you start to bore him, he will _turn on you_. He'll start making excuses about why he can no longer see you. Every time you come to him with questions, he will be busy. You won't get any feedback from him, and on the day of the exams, you'll find yourself alone, take my word for it. How do I know? What makes me so sure this will happen? Well, I've _seen_ it before. With Genesis, it's a cycle. He takes vulnerable young boys under his wing, instructs them until they've generated good PR for him, and then discards them. It's happened so many times now. "So many cadets have quit," Hojo said, voice tinged with sadness, "because Genesis has treated them poorly. Don't let yourself become another victim. Walk away. Let Genesis go and seek out people who are your real friends. Genesis is a..."

**_ "...a what?" _ **

a familiar voice asked with deadly calmness. "A bit of an asshole? It's a well-known fact that Genesis is proud of being a Certified Bonafide Asshat. You're not telling Cloud something that he doesn't already know, Professor. If your goal is to disparage my colleague and friend, you're going to have to try better than that."

"I wasn't trying to disparage Commander Rhapsodos. I have the highest regard for your friend's _professional qualifications._ " Hojo riposted, turning around and looking up.

He tensed as he caught sight of Genesis' best friend leaning stiffly against the railing with his arms folded. Angeal looked none too pleased to see him, and the dark, raccoon-like circles around Angeal's sickly, degrading eyes made the 1st look particularly demonic , and hell-bent on hurting him. Hojo laughed inwardly at the sight, but stopped short of sneering directly into Angeal' face. Hollander's poorly constructed creations, he reminded himself, could still hurt him very badly, and greatly damage his credibility. The last thing he needed was Angeal dragging him before the Board of Directors and accusing him of giving cadets performance enhancing drugs when he was being considered for great things. "Genesis is an asset to SOLDIER. However, the way he treat cadets does not reflect well on him. He should...try to be more like General Sephiroth...and be a role model..."

Angeal closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. There were hundreds of nasty things that he wanted to say in response, but...for Cloud's sake...he decided to bite his tongue for now. The boy had come to see Genesis, not to witness him get into a fight with Hojo, and, he told himself, now was neither the time nor the place to resolve things between himself and the good doctor. Once the visit was over, he vowed, he would have a word with the good doctor, and "persuade" Hojo that it was in his best interests never to lay eyes on Cloud again. And as far as the prescription pills were concerned...Hojo would pay, and pay dearly. A complaint would be filed. An investigation launched. Hojo would be questioned and lose the support of many of his deep-pocketed supporters. And the President and Board of Directors would finally be forced to take accountability for allowing Hojo to ... to...

_...perform experiments on people without consent. Mentally fuck Seph up in the head. And get young cadets addicted to habit-forming drugs ,  _ Angeal raged, knowing that nailing Hojo for only one of the three crimes was possible.

He picked up the prescription jar and read the label. Hojo watched with baited breath as he slipped the container into his pocket and said, "There will be consequences. I can't turn a blind eye to this. I will be having a talk with Director Lazard and Sephiroth and Genesis."

Cloud paled, thinking that he was being accused of steroid use. "They're _not_ mine. I would never..." he protested, struggling to be heard over Hojo, who was telling Angeal, "He asked for them. I told him I couldn't prescribe them to him without a prescription, but he kept badgering me and badgering me and saying that he needed them. He wouldn't stop, so I finally..."

"First Sergeant, that's not true. I - "

"Not. Another. Word!" exclaimed Angeal, cutting them both off. He seized Cloud by the arm and hauled him through the doorway. "You've said enough!" he called out over his shoulder, stomach flip-flopping as Hojo sent them off with peals of discordant laughter.

Cloud, however, assumed that Angeal was speaking to him and complied with the order. He fell silent, only crying out when Angeal pushed him into the wall and his forehead made contact with the jagged plaster. He felt Angeal's hands slide up and down his body, and groaned as his pockets were turned inside out. He grimaced as items he didn't particularly care for Angeal to see were dropped onto the floor. Angeal maintained a tight hold on him throughout the search, twisting his arms behind his back and pinning them to his side. Sweat trickled down his brow as Angeal examined his PHS, opened up his pocket knife, and thumbed through his wallet. He stared at the tiled floor as Angeal tore off his jacket, not wanting to see suspicion and dislike in Angeal's eyes. _It's over. I'm done. I'm gonna be expelled and sent home,_ he thought, head hurting - ears ringing - arms feeling like they were about to snap. _Zack and I will be separated. I'll lose contact with Genesis and Aeris and..._ "I didn't ask for the pills _,"_ he whispered, unwilling to be kicked out without making a fierce attempt to defend himself. "He's a lying son ofa bitch. He offered them to me, and told me bad things about Genesis, because...he wants me to turn on you. But...I won't do that...because it would be... wrong. You."

Angeal eased his grip, but his voice remained stern. "I what?" he asked. He placed his hands on Cloud's shoulders, hoping that the small gesture would set the boy at ease. "Rush too quickly to judge people? Instantly assume the worst in them?"

"Yes." Cloud's tone was clipped. "You do that. Sephiroth wrote me up, so you started thinking I'm bad."

_ No, you're wrong.  _ Angeal subconsciously tightened his hold again, angered by the young swordsman's words. He was not used to being spoken to so rudely by cadets, and he did not like the fact that the boy seemed to think that he was weak-willed and incapable of forming his own opinions about people. "I judge people based on interactions I have with them," he corrected Cloud. "I used to think that you were a bad influence on Zack, but now I trust you and...I hope that you will trust me enough to tell me why you keep people at arm's length. I want to know how you know some of the things you know, and I want to know why Hojo is so interested in you, and..." His expression softened. "I want you to stay the hell away from Him," he said. "You're treading on dangerous ground. He's not a nice person, and I'm afraid that he may try to come after you when he finds out that you have been - " - _hacking into his computer and trying to bring him down -_ "sabotaging him."

Cloud blinked. Just what the hell was Angeal getting at? "'Sabotage' is a pretty strong word to use," he said.

"Yeah it is, I'm sorry." Angeal sighed. "I used it incorrectly. I'm not thinking clearly - " - _because I've been thinking about Jenova and Ancients all day._ \- "What I mean to say is, Hojo's going to think you're sabotaging him when word gets out that he is giving steroids to cadets. He's going to be very angry, but...don't worry. I'm going to make sure that he won't target you, because _I_ will file the complaint and make sure Hojo knows I'm the one who filed it. He'll come after me when he reads the complaint...I'm sure of that. I can make myself really unlikable," he added, and the corners of his mouth turned up in a grimace at the thought of all the drama that was going to ensue when he filed the complaint.

It would, to say the least, "not be fun," and Cloud, apparently, was thinking the same thing as well, for the next words out of his mouth were, "What's gonna happen when you file the complaint? How bad're things gonna get?"

Angeal gave Cloud a pained, measured look, and started to walk towards a restricted staff door. He motioned for the boy to follow him, and made certain that his young companion went through the door first. As Cloud scooted past, he held up his hand, blocking the view the boy got of his crimson-tinted cheeks. "I'm not that worried about what'll happen," he lied between gritted teeth, because telling the truth would hurt Cloud. "Complaints get filed all the time against Hojo, and nothing bad has ever happened to the people who've filed 'em. There'll be a hearing, but...it won't be a big deal."

"Will I have to come to the hearing?" said Cloud.

"No, you won't." Cloud would be spared having to go before the panel. He would see to it personally that the boy would not be called in if the Director asked to see him, and the possibility of that happening anyway was remote to begin with due to the sensitive nature of the investigation. The Director would want to keep this behind closed doors, and minimize Hojo's embarrassment. "You will, though," he warned Cloud, "need to submit to a drug test before you go home today. It is for your safety. A clean drug test plus my word will clear you. I will tell them that I didn't find any drugs on you when I padded you down...and all will be well."

He noticed that the boy brightened visibly at his words, and found himself wondering if this was how Sephiroth had looked when Genesis had come to him and told him that they were cutting back on the amount of time that he'd be forced to spend with Hojo. Loud, indignant swearing coming from Room 21, unfortunately, distracted him, causing him to forget what he was thinking about. Had he not been distracted, he might have thought about it awhile longer, and realized what he had just done for Cloud.

Saving Zack from Genesis now became his number one priority. If he did not act fast, **VERY BAD THINGS** could happen. Seizing Cloud's hand, he made a beeline for the door. Fearing the worst, he barged in without knocking, stumbled into the room, and saw...

...Genesis cheerfully playing speed chess with Zack.

The Puppy was getting his ass kicked, which explained why Genesis looked so happy, and Cissnei seemed frazzled. She mouthed the words, "1-0..." and pointed wearily at Genesis, who was pimping, preening and hamming it up for the camera she held in her hand. "Get a picture of me winning," Angeal heard Genesis say as he and Cloud approached. "Mail it to the newspaper, and tell them to make the headline, 'Always a Winner.' Pay extra if you have to to get it featured prominently on the front page of the entertainment section and don't worry about the rates. The cost is of no concern to a rich - " - "bitch," muttered Zack under his breath - "celebrity such as myself, and let me know when you're about to take the picture. I don't want that deer caught in the headlights effect. This photo needs to be professional, magazine quality. "

Angeal bumped into the chess board, interrupting the game. "That'll be enough, Genesis," he said, ignoring the murderous glare that his best friend shot him. "It's poor sportsmanship to gloat when you win a game. And," he continued, glancing sideways at Zack, "I'd like to know what the hell you were thinking challenging him to a chess match when you've never shown any interest in the game until today."

Zack blanched as Genesis took his queen _and_ put him in check, all in the same move. "I'm just tryin' to have a friendly game with my buddy, Genesis," he protested, wrapping an arm around the sick man to show that they had buried the hatchet and were now best pals. "You know. Good, fun, friendly competition, right, GR? Nothing wrong with that, eh, Cloud?"

Cloud chose not to answer, and plopped down on the bed, quietly watching as Genesis yanked his arm away. His instructor grinned wickedly at him and reached out to ruffle his hair. He made a wry face as Genesis smooshed his bangs against his forehead and combed his fingers through the loose, stray strands. "Thanks a lot, it'll take a long time for me to fix it," he groaned, and was rewarded with a cynical smirk from Zack, a sympathetic pat on the back from Angeal, and rich, resonant laughter from Genesis. "Hands off the hair please?" he croaked, choking up inside as his mentor picked up a Kleenex, and wiped the goop out of his unfocused, discolored blue eyes. "I don't want to return to headquarters looking like..."

"...a drowned chocobo?" Genesis murmured, taken aback by Cloud's overly serious attitude. He pantomimed back handing Zack, and when that failed to elicit a laugh, he placed a finger under the boy's chin, and raised his head, commanding him to look at him. "What is with you?" he asked Cloud, oblivious to the signs of death and degradation around him. "I thought you'd be happy to see me, Cloud. Is something wrong?"

Cloud tilted his head towards Zack, fearing that he would lose control of his emotions if he was forced to look at the dry lichen-like patches of skin forming on his mentor's neck. "I was thinking about the exams," he said, lips thinning as he caught whiff of a rancid smell coming from Genesis' freshly washed face. "I'm worried. I was told I don't have the right body type. Are they gonna hold that against me?" he mumbled, because it was the only thing that he could think of saying.

Silence descended upon the room. Genesis slanted a glance at Zack, who threw up his hands and said, "Woah, woah, there, don't look at me. I haven't been telling him shit. You're Spike's instructor, not me. I wouldn't -"

"He hasn't." Angeal reassured Genesis, struggling to keep his voice even. He frowned fiercely, regretting that he had not punched Hojo's lights out when he had had the opportunity. "But someone who doesn't know what they're talking about has been going around giving cadets bad advice," he warily added, praying that Genesis and Zack would not ask him for names. "It will, of course, be dealt with."

Genesis smirked, accepting this as an answer, but Zack was more persistent and said, "It's that asshole, Kevin, isn't it? Don't let him get to you, Spike. Kevin thinks he's better than everyone else. He's full of it." To everyone's disgust, he cracked his knuckles, making a wrenching neck-breaking sound. "Want me to pay him a visit and have a word with him? By day, I'm a SOLDIER. By night, I'm an Enforcer."

_ No! No! NO! No!  _ Cloud vigorously shook his head and Angeal silenced Zack by gently trodding on his foot. Cissnei excused herself and ducked out of the room, not liking where the conversation was headed, and Genesis folded his arms crossly - displeased that everyone was paying attention to Zack. _They should be looking at me,_ he fumed. _I'm the one who's sick! I've...had a very bad time of it! I nearly died! I had a window fall on me and...I - I think I've over-exerted myself. Oh, puh-puh-please lower your voice, Zackary. It's taking its toll on my nerves. Oh Zack -_ "I suddenly don't feel so good," he announced, which of course, generated the effect he desired, for all heads snapped up and turned his way. And Zack quit acting tough and mouthing off.

Fair swore - "Oh shit, don't get sick on us now!" - and became very quiet and very concerned about his well-being. Angeal, however, pressed his lips together, and put his hands on his hips.

His honorable best friend looked like he wanted to throttle him, and Genesis didn't blame him. Shielding his eyes from the harsh sunlight pouring into his room, sinking back into his covers and moaning breathily was crap acting. Movie-of-the-week, soap opera stuff. Kiddie cartoon fare. Insulting to everyone's intelligence. But sadly...the obvious was too subtle for Zack. "Zack, shut up!" went in one ear and out the other, forcing him to take extreme measures to ensure he got the love and praise he deserved. "Zackary," he asked, in a deceptively sweet voice, "would you mind closing the blinds for me, please? It's too bright in here and my eyes are killing me."

Zack knit his brows in annoyance, but he graciously got up and pulled down the blinds. _I meant what I said about wanting to be pals,_ he sighed, _But I guess the feelin's not mutual. Oh well, your loss. I can be a really good friend._ "Is there anything else I can do for you, GR?" he inquired good-naturedly, determined to uphold his end of the bargain. "Shall I - "

"Call me 'Commander.' 'GR' is reserved for my friends. 'Genesis' for colleagues and 'Commander' for over eager youngsters , such as yourself," Genesis purred, oozing with supersaturated charm. "Now that we've gotten that straight, I'd like you to bring me a cup of Expresso and order dinner for me. Make it takeout please from the restaurant next door to the hospital. I don't feel like eating hospital food tonight. The last meal they gave me tasted like dog food!" he exclaimed, throwing a blanket around Cloud's shoulders. He tugged on the blanket, playfully dragging the cocooned boy towards him. "Can you imagine that?"

"Yeah, I can only imagine," Cloud grumbled, displeased with how Zack was being treated. He threw off the blanket, balled it up, and handed it to his mentor. Genesis stared at the blanket incredulously, and Cloud hopped off the bed and hurried to Zack's side. The 1st glowered at them, seething with indignation, and Fair did not help matters by saying, "Someone's gonna need to look out for Spike while you're on crutches and on the mend. Angeal gets really busy around this time of year, and the General's off doing important person stuff. That doesn't leave very many people in your little circle of friends to do the job. I don't suppose...you would...trust someone brave, strong and heroic to look after the little chocobo? Someone like...?"

... _Like YOU?_ Genesis thought with incredulous fury. _How dare the little shit compare himself to me?_ And yet, Genesis had to admit that Angeal's pup wasn't completely without talent. He merely lacked focus, which was something Angeal was working with him to improve. And the boy did have a point: Sephiroth didn't have the patience to teach, and Angeal did have a busy schedule. And Strife needed a mentor, more now than ever now with the exams mere weeks away. He could, just this once, he supposed, be accomodating and let the Puppy teach Cloud in his absence. But...there would be Rules Fair would need to follow, and if Zack broke them (or gave Cloud bad advice), he would see to it that they drowned Angeal's pet Puppy. Or let him use the scrawny little mutt for Black Flurrying practice.

_ I wonder if the Real Deal will hold up longer than the dummy,  _ Genesis mused, smiling malevolently at Zack. He held his hand out to the Puppy and said, "You can do it."

Zack gaped at Genesis, dumbfounded. "Huh, wha-what?" he stammered, not believing what he was hearing. "Did you just say that I can mentor Spike? Really? You mean it?"

Genesis sat up in bed and propped his head against his elbow. He picked up the remote control and started flipping through channels. "I wouldn't have said 'you can do it,' if I hadn't had meant it, Zackary," he said, face hardening as the Puppy quivered with excitement and groveled happily on the floor. "Now," he continued, "I recommend you calm down, pull yourself together and think long and hard about whether or not you want to do this. This is a position with a lot of responsibility. If you fuck up, Cloud will not get into SOLDIER, and you will find yourself wiping counters and washing test tubes for the rest of your unnaturally hyperactive life . Hojo has been looking for an assistant for quite some time now, and you would come to him with a letter of recommendation from ME. And as you know, I carry a lot of weight around here. So think about it and - "

"I'll do it," Zack said without hesitation. "I _want_ to mentor Spike and you're gonna have to try harder than that to scare me. Working for Hojo, please. Angeal's 'Pride 'n Honor' plate scares me more than that ugly little S.O.B. If you'd said I'd spend the rest of my life making those plates, maybe then I'd have thought, 'Oh shit.' But Hojo. Really? Really? Really?"

"Yes, really," snapped Genesis. "Would you like me to change my mind? I can do that, you know."

Zack turned white as Genesis' bed sheets. "Let's, uh, not have second thoughts, buddy - err, _Commander._ That would be a mean thing to do to someone who's bringing gift baskets to you." he grimaced. He bent down, picked up a gift box on the floor, and began to neatly arrange the goodies on the bed. "See? Look at all these nice things," he smiled crookedly, realizing, too late, that the box he'd grabbed was from " _Tseng and the Turks_ " and the one that they'd brought Genesis was downstairs in the car. "Here we have a gift card to a bookstore, _'The Revival of LOVELESS' DVD -_ isn't that gonna be uh fun - a cool bottle of cologne and some fresh fruit. Mmmm yummy. And oh look, we brought along your mail too. Here's a message to you from the President of the Red Leather Fan Club. It says, 'Get well, Genesis! We love you! We miss our hero! XXXOO. XXOOO. Love, love, love, love, love...kisses, hugs...' uhhh...are my fans gonna be this scary?"

Genesis glared daggers at Zack and icily set the box to the side. The offensive card went into the trash can, and the cute little stickers one of his squealing, pre-pubescent admirers had sent him got handed to Cloud to "dispose of, before Fair goes flying out the window." The fresh fruit was happily received, and Genesis shocked everyone by uttering a quiet cry of joy when the basalt stones were poured onto his sheets. Zack scratched his head, wondering why the heck Genesis was getting worked up over a bag of rocks, and Angeal just smiled knowingly. "I'll be getting one too," he vaguely told Genesis. "I hear hot stone therapy works. Quite well. Hopefully it'll make your shoulder feel better."

"It damn better," Genesis sniffled, massaging the inflamed area. He rolled onto his stomach and bit down hard as sharp, penetrating pain shot down his spinal cord. His teeth tore through his tongue, drawing blood, and turning his mouth into a well of stinging rawness. Tears appeared in the corner of his eyes as his shoulders throbbed, his neck muscles burned, and his skin felt as though it was being ripped apart by a red hot knife. Cloud, Zack and Angeal heard him gasp for breath as bile rose up in his throat, the world around him blurred and everything spun out of control. "It's pissing me off," he rasped, throwing himself down onto his pillow face first so they wouldn't see how much pain he was in. "Hurts like hell...and you know what's funny? A torn shoulder muscle hurts more than having a goddamn window fall on you. God, I wish the pain would end. Does anyone know how long it takes for a screwed up shoulder to heal?"

"I don't," said Zack.

"It varies," replied Angeal.

"It's a pain," said Cloud, coming forward. "But you gotta be strong." He took Genesis' hand and squeezed it tightly, communicating with that hand squeeze what he was unable to tell his friend. "No matter how much it hurts, you gotta be strong," he whispered through clenched teeth as Genesis blinked back at him in confusion, wondering why he was saying such serious-sounding things when it was ONLY a torn shoulder muscle. Perhaps to a cadet a torn shoulder muscle was a life-threatening injury and the end of the world?

Genesis laughed weakly at Cloud and punched him in the arm. "You think too much," he lightheartedly said as their hospital visit came to a close. "It's an annoyance. That's all. I'll be fine. The Certified Bonafide Asshole," he chuckled, "is back."


	30. Part 1: The Wings of the Dove

**Chapter 30, Part 1: The Wings of the Dove**

_Midgar - εуλ 0000_

"Towed? You've got to be kidding me. No. Way!" Zack exclaimed, staring in horror at the empty parking spot where his car had once stood. He slapped his hand against his forehead, wanting to smack himself for forgetting to come back outside and put more money in the parking meter. "Now I'm gonna have to spend tomorrow figuring out how to get my ride back. This. Really. Blows. Spike. I. Did. Something. Very. Dumb."

"And I caused us to run past time," Cloud said, uttering a deep sigh.

_If I hadn't had that little run in with Hojo, you wouldn't have had to wait on me to get that drug test._

"I'll help you find your car," he offered. "And I'll chip in on the towing ticket. The ticket's going to be expensive, and you shouldn't have to pay for the entire thing. And, uhm, I'll also help pay for the cab."

Zack frowned - embarrassed by his Spiky-haired friend's generosity. He saw no reason for Cloud to foot any of the cost when it had been _His_ mistake. And what the heck was this talk about a cab, he wondered. Who had said anything about taking a taxi home? He flipped open his PHS, winked at Cloud, and said, "Screw the cab. Cabs smell. I'm not going to be caught dead riding around in one of those things. We are going to be jetting out of here in a very nice car."

Cloud guessed where this was heading and rolled his eyes. There was nothing "nice" about Angeal's bumper-sticker coated car, and the thought of strolling through town in the First Sergeant's freaky four-wheel drive made him desperately long for his motorbike. _I'll take my Fenrir, please,_ he dryly thought, as Zack grinned exaggeratedly into his phone and gave him the thumbs up sign. "Hiiiii, 'ngeal," he heard the black-haired boy say. "We're having a little trouble here. The police pooched my car, and we need to get over to Church Street in the Slums for a part - tay. Cloud was going to introduce me to his hot new girlfriend and she will be worried sick if we don't make it. There's a good chance also she might dump him if we don't show, because you know how easily young hearts can be broken. Sooo...would you mind if we, um, nabbed a ride from you so we can defend young love? All right! You're AWESOME! Cloud, we're off to the land of fun!"

Zack raised his hand in the air for a "high-five" and went "oh yeah." Cloud groaned and tucked his hands behind his back, failing to see a cause for celebration. Zack had just flat-out lied to Angeal about his relationship with Aeris, and having Angeal drive them down to the Church had _not_ been what he had had in mind. Distressed Zack was going to be hard enough to deal with. Freaked out Angeal was going to be _hell on earth._ And Cloud was not sure that he and Aeris would be able to handle dealing with two unhappy 1sts at the same time if Angeal chose to stick around and make sure he didn't get wild and crazy with his "hot new girlfriend." He had a feeling their trip to the Church was going to be a horrible experience, and said, "I wish you hadn't had made that call. Now he's going to want to keep tabs on us for the rest of the night."

"Huh?" Zack yapped, as Angeal pulled up in his car, looking none too thrilled that they had gotten their car towed. "Angeal? He doesn't care what we do, and will just drop us off and skiddaddle."

"I sure hope so. You just told him we were off to the 'land of part-tay,' and that we were going to see a hot, sexy girl. If he insists on coming along, I hope you can find a way to get rid of him," Cloud hissed in Zack's ear. He straightened up and tried to look innocent, hoping that Angeal would think that they were headed to a friend's house to study. Or something boring and mundane like that. "Hi, First Sergeant, good to see you again," he said, waving cheerlessly as Angeal rolled down the window.

Angeal grunted and wearily waved back at them. The boys noticed that his brows were knit and that he was stooped over like an arthritic old crone. He looked like he had not slept for days, and Zack began to feel bad that he had pestered Angeal for a ride. "Are you okay, Angeal?" the 1st asked. "You look like you have a headache."

"Nothing that some aspirin can't fix," Angeal comforted them. He motioned for them to get inside and decided not to tell them that he had spent the past ten minutes listening to the Turks gossip about Hojo in the lobby. Hollander, apparently, had been fired and was leaving the company in disgrace. With Hollander gone, Hojo would win by default, and get his prestigious science award. He would have near absolute power, and the President would bend over backwards to give his acclaimed scientist whatever he wanted. A lifetime contract would no doubt be part of the deal, and he and Genesis would become the Professor's new patients if Hojo demanded that they be given to him. Sephiroth would be forced to resume seeing Hojo several times a week, and Zack would likely be forced to see Hojo as well, because the Professor had made it clear to him that he hated Zack. And wanted to experiment on the disturbingly hyper boy and find out what his dysfunction was. "You said you wanted to be driven to the _Church,_ right?"

"Umm, yeah, that's a good drop off spot." Cloud muttered from the back of the car. He buckled himself in and leaned back, trying hard to remember what Zack had said to Angeal on the phone. He was 95% certain that Zack had told Angeal that they were going to the Slums, _not_ the Church.

 _So how then,_ he wondered, _does he know where we're going? I hope Zack hasn't been telling him that I'm dating the Gainsborough girl!_

"What have **_you_** heard about my new girlfriend?" he said to Angeal, somehow managing to get the words out. "I've been trying to keep her a secret, and Zack kind of let the cat out of the bag."

 _I see._ Angeal adjusted his mirror so he would have a clear view of their faces. He was an expert at reading body language and adept at detecting liars. He would easily be able to spot a liar, in such close, confining quarters, and with some luck, he'd be able to gleam some of their secrets by watching how they reacted. Little things, like lowered eyes and furtive glances out a window, could be very telling, and Angeal was a 1st class psychologist, making note of everything that he saw. Psychological intimidation was also something that he was good at, and he employed it now, hoping that if he put some pressure on Cloud and Zack, that they would realize that he was on to them, and think about coming clean. He was sick of having information withheld from him, sick of being kept in the dark, and planned on cornering them and interrogating them over the weekend if they did not approach him with a confession. He preferred, however, to give them a Chance, and so he smiled at them said, "I've heard that your girlfriend is one-of-a-kind. And that she's really special."

Heavy emphasis was placed on _"one-of-a-kind,"_ and Cloud felt his heart begin to hammer inside his chest. _Damn it damn it damn it damn it! He **must** know. He wouldn't call her "one-of-a-kind" if he didn't. When we get out of this car, I'm going to skin Zack!_

"I don't understand what you mean by 'one-of-a-kind?'" he said, deciding a naive answer was the safest approach. There was always the possibility that Angeal did _not_ know about the Ancient, and was pushing his buttons and trying to tease him. Genesis had told him that Angeal had a mischievous streak, and what better thing to tease him over than a new girlfriend? "We're all 'one-of-a-kind,' sir. There's only one of you and only one of me. And fortunately, only one of Zack," he laughed, keeping his breathing even and his head held high - much to Angeal's frustration.

Angeal regarded him darkly, silently cursing him for being so good at controlling his emotions and giving people non-answers. For a moment, Angeal considered asking him, point blank, what he and Zack planned on doing in the Ancient's home. Fear of sacrificing an opportunity to learn valuable information from them made the 1st hesitate, and realize that it was in his best interests to avoid a direct confrontation in the car. It would be better for him to watch over them, for the time being, than frighten them, have them clam up, and have them ask to be driven back home.

"Poor Puppy, always the brunt of jokes," the 1st murmured after a moment of long, awkward silence. "But such a good sport. You always have been a team player and a good friend."

Zack bounced happily in his car seat, glad to be called "a good friend" - and Angeal paused, reconsidering the tactics that he was using. Mrs. Hewley had once told him _"you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar,"_ so he decided to approach them with friendship, and see where that got him. They would be far more likely to open up to someone who called themselves a friend, than a busybody, and friends, Angeal thought with some bitterness, _normally don't keep secrets from each other._ "I'm happy that you have a new girlfriend," he said, turning around and looking pointedly at Cloud. "That's great news! Do you think you could introduce me to her sometime? I would love to meet her sometime if you don't think a boring old fart like me would ruin things. I'm not exactly a fun friend like your buddy Zack."

"Yeah, sure. We intended to introduce you two - " - _after I've learned about time travel and angels_ \- "later on this week," Zack happily volunteered. "Right, Spike?"

"Right. But not tonight; **_no offense_**. I don't want to make it a group event. It's going to be hard enough as it is with Zack bouncing all over the place!" Cloud patronizingly said, not sure he liked where they were heading; Angeal had just gone from glowering at him to suggesting that they spend time together and that spelled potential mindfuckery in his book. The 1st's "Poor Puppy" comment made his skin crawl - it had sounded so fake and insincere - and _why the hell,_ Cloud stormed, _does he keep finding ways to bring the conversation back to Aeris? He's either fishing for information,_ he concluded, or _he can't get over that I have a "girlfriend_ ," he frowned, catching a glimpse of himself in the driver's mirror.

With shot eyes, irritated skin, and unkempt blond hair, he looked like the last person on the Planet to qualify as potential boyfriend material. No fucking wonder Angeal was so interested and making comments about Aeris being "one-of-a-kind."

 _He feels sorry for me!_ Cloud sighed, convinced now of Angeal's innocence. _And I feel sorry for me too._ "Aeris is really nice," he allowed, figuring that he owed Angeal that much for responding to him rudely and thinking poorly of him. "She's very sweet and she likes to garden. She's lively and spunky and can be a bit of a tease. Her mother brought us ice cream once, and she took the whipped cream and - "

" - squirted it all over herself and did a cute nekkie dance for you?" Zack supplied, sensing the tension between his two best friends. He ducked as Cloud and Angeal spun around simultaneously, and glared daggers at him. Static electricity sizzled through him, crackling down his arms and legs, as his Spiky haired buddy's fist connected with his shoulder, and his fingers jabbed him in the jaw. Zack whined as Cloud's Stop materia left him frozen in the back seat with a stupid, demonic grin on his face, and the boy's Blizzard spell left him feeling all tingly and cold. Driver and fellow passenger gave each other satisfied nods, and Zack laughed happily, even though he had just been owned. Being put under deep freeze was not particularly fun, but it beat having Cloud and Angeal at each other's throats for the rest of the drive. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he apologized through chattering teeth. "I was just kidding, y'know. Messing around with the two of you. Aeris's a good girl, and I know she wouldn't do something wild and crazy like that. That's more down Don Corneo's girls' alleys if y'know what I mean."

Cloud unzipped his potion bag and pulled out a Remedy. He pried open Zack's paralyzed fingers and grudgingly placed the potion in his friend's hand. "Are you going to behave?" he inquired, with a mild undercurrent of menace in his voice. "Or are we going to have to carry a Pupsicle into the Church?"

Zack shuddered at the threat, and Angeal shook his head and said, "You brought this one on yourself, Pup. If you crack crude jokes about a sweet young girl in front of her boyfriend, don't be surprised when he rushes to defend her honor!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll behave," Zack stammered. "I swear - I swear - I swear. Now please unfreeze me, little featherhead? I'm starting to get a cold."

Cloud obliged and poured the potion over him.

Zack turned on the heater, and the two boys proceeded to shoot the breeze and talk about things that were of no interest to a man in his mid-twenties. Angeal fell silent and circled the building, searching for a spot where he could park his car after he dropped the two of them off. He noticed that there was a creepy-looking alley sandwiched between the Church and the next house over, and decided to stash his four-wheel drive there. The dumpster in the alley would prevent anyone from seeing his car from the street, and he felt confident that Cloud, Zack and the Ancient would choose to have their meeting of the minds in a place where people couldn't hear them. They would most likely hole up inside the Church and lock the doors. _Or hide out in the yard behind the Church,_ mused Angeal - catching sight of a shed and some garden tools peeking through a rickety-picket fence;Zack loved to be outdoors, and would no doubt beg them to have their get-together in the grass. And when Zack begged, people tended to give in, and say "yes."

 _I've yet to meet a person who can resist his eyes!_ Angeal chuckled, lips quirking as he spied a SOLDIER 1st sized gap in the fence.

He happily made note of it, feeling relieved that he would not have to climb over the fence or break a lock to get inside Aeris' yard. Going through a hole in someone's fence was still going to be a very rude thing to do, but, Angeal reassured himself, it was _only_ going to be entering, _not_ breaking. And it wasn't like he would be trespassing; churches, after all, were supposed to be open to everyone - including cranky old SOLDIERs with questionable tastes in motor vehicles.

And, Angeal decided, if someone approached him and demanded to know what he was doing in the yard, he would clear his conscience and exonerate himself by telling the Truth. He would explain to the Cetra girl and her family that he had come to pray for two _misguided_ little boys who were going about doing things the _wrong_ way. And when they heard that the boys were lying, sneaking around, and endangering themselves, they would understand why he was so concerned. His actions, while morally shameful, would pale in comparison to what Cloud and Zack were doing, and he would be forgiven for violating his honorable principles and letting his emotions cloud his judgment. He would redeem himself and make allies, and his new allies would talk to Zack and Cloud. And together he and the Cetra-girl would persuade them to do things differently.

 _There's strength in numbers!_ Angeal brightened as they pulled up alongside the curb.

He brought his car to a stop and made his face stony and unreadable as the boys unbuckled their seatbelts. Cloud looked at him nervously as he hopped out of the car, and Zack whooped and danced around on the curb - glad to be able to move his limbs again. Both he and Cloud sighed as Zack raced up to the Church and attempted to peer through the stain glass, going from being a perv to a peeping tom.

"If I didn't know any better, I would think that you were the one going on the hot date, Pup," Angeal dryly commented, regretting that he hadn't taught his young apprentice to keep his hormones under control. He turned on his brights and blinked them rapidly to get Zack's attention, and let him know that he was ashamed of his behavior. Zack covered his face with his hands and blushed, and Angeal picked up the newspaper on his dashboard and flipped to the Entertainment section. "Etiquette column, page three, top right hand corner of page," he told the flustered boy. "Read it - learn how to act like a gentleman - and have fun on your date. I am off to pick up an Expresso and deal with a situation that's come up. I will have my cell phone turned off, so if you need to reach me, you'll have to leave a voice message. Will you be able to get home, okay, or do you want me to arrange a time to pick the two of you up?"

"Yes, in two -"

"No, that's okay, we'll find our own way home," Cloud blurted out, determined to have Angeal _stay gone_ for the rest of the night. "Elmyra has a car and can drive us back. We'll be fine."

"Elmyra, eh?" Angeal made a face at the name. "Okay then, I'll be seeing the two of you later. Have a good night and stay out of trouble. Uphold your pride and honor and - "

" - Protect your SOLDIER honor," the boys chorused as Angeal waved at them.

 _Right - that._ Angeal drove around the corner and headed two blocks south. He rolled into a gas station, went into the convenience store, and purchased a cup of coffee. Cloud and Zack would need some time to get settled and lulled into a false sense of security, so he spent a few minutes watching TV and sipping his Expresso. The President was giving a speech on the evening news, and Angeal was appalled to hear the fat little man say, "Let's raise a glass to our newest department head and drink to his success. Friends and colleagues, tonight we celebrate the accomplishments of Professor Hojo!" Disgust spread across his face as an entire room full of people clinked their wine glasses together, and the convenience store clerk was forced to take the cup from his shaking hand and put it on the counter where it wouldn't accidentally get knocked over.

"Oh wow," the clerk gushed, gazing starry-eyed at the TV screen. "The Professor got promoted. This's wonderful."

"Yes - I'm - overjoyed," Angeal sarcastically said, his heart going out to his two best friends. Sephiroth looked more miserable than he had ever seen him, standing woodenly beside the President on the TV screen. And Genesis would blow his top when he found out that the man whom had tried to bully Cloud into taking drugs was being hailed as employee of the year. Good old GR already had taken the news about the drugs hard when he had gone back up to his room and informed him that Cloud was being drug-tested, and Angeal feared his friend would retaliate and do something rash like torch Hojo's car to thank the Professor.

"You - wouldn't happen to sell any Tylenol here, would you?" he muttered. "I have a raging headache."

"Sorry, we don't carry Tylenol here," the clerk told him, and Angeal nodded and took his leave.

He got in his car and drove back to the Church, driving slowly to check for Turks. Tseng and his men were at the press conference on the other side of town, but Angeal was cautious, and took no chances. The Turks would forcefully interrogate him if they caught him spying on Aeris, and Cloud and Zack would be in for a world of pain when they were dragged up to Tseng's office to explain their interest in the Ancient. Tseng would use everything at his disposal to make them crack, and then -

 _\- it'll be all over!_ Angeal shuddered, sliding out of his car.

He left his beloved four wheel drive in the alley and made a beeline for the hole in the fence he'd spotted earlier. It was smaller than he remembered it, and he had to duck and suck in his stomach in order to fit through. A dog barked at him as he squeezed through the hole, and he was mortified to find himself standing on a "No Trespassing" sign that had fallen to the ground. Lights in the house next door flicked on, and Angeal was forced to conceal himself in the bushes and wait until the dog had calmed down and been led inside with a treat before continuing his trek through the Church yard. Zack and Cloud were nowhere in sight and Angeal felt relieved that they had chosen to hold their meeting indoors instead of outside; there were shit for places to hide in the yard, and he would have been spotted right away had they chosen to sit out under the stars. Not to mention him getting caught sneaking around would have set a bad example for impressionable young ones.

The thought of people coming outside and finding him skulking in the bushes like a bandit made him cringe, so he emerged from the shrubs and walked up to the vestry door. It was unlocked and swung aside easily when he pushed it open and made his way to the side rooms in the main area. He slid inside an empty room, pulled the shutters down, and sat back to listen to what he was sure was going to be a very enlightening conversation. The Cetra-girl was singing a song in the Ancient language and Zack was running around, admiring the architecture. And from the sound of his happy yaps, Angeal guessed Zack had never been in a Church, or been taught how to act in one.

**_εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000_ **

"Wow, this is some place!" the black-haired boy shouted, nearly blowing out everyone's eardrums. He smiled in awe at the flying buttresses soaring over their heads and grinned. "I didn't know that they made churches so nice. I guess they don't make 'em like they used to, eh, Spike?" he asked, jabbing Cloud affectionately in the ribs.

Cloud nodded mournfully and shifted his gaze to Aeris, who was kneeling beside her garden, overturning the soil. She had greeted them enthusiastically, then told them to wait until she finished her work. Zack had been most unhappy about this, but Aeris had pacified him by reminding them that she was under surveillance. "You should make certain that there're no recording devices taped to the pews or Turks hiding in the green house," she had said, sending them on what was turning out to be a rather pointless manhunt. Zack, however, seemed to be enjoying searching for hidden video cameras, and Cloud was not about to criticize what they were doing. The more time they spent roaming around the Church - the more time they gave her to come up with a solution. _It'll take more than a mere explanation to make him believe,_ he had been ominously warned. _I need to think about how to present everything to him._

 _Or we run the risk of losing him,_ Cloud grimly thought. Out loud, though, he said, "This church is different. It's a special place. It's the only place in Midgar where you can come see the flowers."

"So I see," Zack said, squinting at Aeris and trying to make out what she was planting. She looked up from her pruning and shyly waved at them, and Zack waved back. "Whatcha planting?" the black-haired boy wondered, forgetting that they were supposed to let her do her work. "I don't think I've ever seen flowers like those. Can I mosey on over and take a looksey?"

Aeris laughed at Zack and beckoned to him, inviting him to join her. She seemed delighted that he seemed so interested in what she was doing, which surprised Cloud, because she had expressed reservations about getting involved with Zack while Hojo still lived ("there can't be anything between us until this's all over"). He also noticed that Zack was blushing and felt a profound sense of relief. A romance between the two would complicate things, in the long run, but in the short term, it felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Zack would have an easier time accepting the truth if it came from someone he liked than from someone he hated. Whether Zack would leave the Church, still liking Aeris, though, remained to be seen. Odds were that he'd run out of the building, thinking she was an evil witch.

 _Please, please, please, don't let it end that way,_ Cloud implored the Planet, as Zack dropped to his knees and asked, "What're those prickly-looking things?"

"Dandelions," Aeris replied, running her fingers up and down the stems. "And this plant, over here, is arnica. Dandelions are great to eat and make a good coffee substitute, and arnica is a good painkiller for sprains and fractures. It is not good to eat, though, because it can you make you sick." she added, suppressing a pang of loneliness as he hesitantly reached out to touch the bright yellow flowers. Seeing him touch the flowers reminded her of how he used to touch her when they had loved each other, and it took all her willpower to maintain a straight face and act as though they were meeting for the first time. "Would you like to try some of the dandelions? They're healthy for you!"

Zack blinked, taken aback by her words. Cloud had spent half the walk over to her place warning him not to step on the plants, walk through the plants, break stems off the plants, or crush the plants, and now she wanted him to _eat_ the plants? Something was very wrong with this picture! "Woah, woah, woah," he said, convinced that she was only doing this to be "nice" to him, "I can't do that. It's taken you months to grow these plants, and I'll be messing up all your hard work if I start pigging out on them. If you want to have a little somethin' to eat, I can take you out for some good old home cooking. I'm a bit of a hobbyist chef and I cook some mean food."

Aeris giggled. Cooking had _never_ been one of Zack's strengths. One of the worst meals she'd had in her life had come from him, and the food, to be blunt, had tasted so bad that she'd thought the hour of death had been upon her. Zack's offer to cook for them was sweet, but..."Not necessary," she said, snapping a dandelion in half. She handed the severed stems to Zack, and plunged her trowel into the dirt. "The flowers won't be harmed, and it makes them so _happy_ to lend you their strength! They are trembling with joy! Can you feel their happiness?"

 _Ummm, yeah, I can never knew a plant could be happy,_ Zack winced, eyes going from Aeris to Cloud to the dandelion in his hand. His Spiky-haired friend shrugged, and Zack remembered what Cloud had told him about Aeris' peculiar way of talking. _I guess..._ "I'll eat it," he declared nervously, fearing that his sidelong glances had offended her. "But I still feel bad about chewing on your flowers and getting 'em all bent out of shape. Don't these things take you weeks to grow?"

Aeris put her shovel down and clapped her hands together, shaking the dirt from her fingertips. Crystal clear water bubbled out of the ground where she had been kneeling, shooting into the air. Zack gasped as the water flew everywhere, dousing him, Cloud and the flowers. Aeris lifted her head and smiled as he rushed into the flower-bed, and began lifting up leaves, searching for a hidden sprinkler. "You won't find what you're looking for, because this water is a gift from the Planet," she laughed melodically as the maimed dandelions were hit with the spray _._ "The Lifestream flows in springs, just beneath the surface of the Planet. Most of the springs have been discovered, but this one has remained hidden up until now! Now, watch closely," she commanded, "and see what it does to the dandelions."

Zack covered his mouth with his hand as the split stems closed - the blossoms rose upright - and the severed leaves grew back right before his very eyes. He gaped at the pieces in his hand and then, in a sudden burst of desperation, thrust his recently injured arm into the water. Fear turned to amazement, amazement to hope, and hope to relief as

the stitches fell off - the scar line receded - and the bruised areas were replaced with healthy, glowing pink skin. His heart rejoiced as the wound vanished entirely, and the water left him feeling rejuvenated. Here, at last, he thought, with near manic euphoria, was what they had been searching for. "You are incredible. You can heal everything," he gasped, throwing his arms around Aeris. "All we need to do is get Genesis and Angeal to drink this water, and they will be _saved!"_

Cloud and Aeris exchanged glances, and Zack felt his heart sink. He stepped out of the spray with downcast eyes and said, "You-you can't cure degradation, can you?"

Aeris hugged Zack, weaving her fingers through his shaggy black hair. "I'm sorry, Zack," she whispered as he clung to her, hanging on for dear life, "but I'm afraid it doesn't work that way. Lifestream water's powerful, but degradation's not something it can cure. I could help your friends if I was _in_ the Lifestream, where Great Gospel would be most potent, but I would need to die in order to become one with the Planet. If it comes to that, I am willing to make the sacrifice for - "

"NO!" Cloud exclaimed, certain that she would do it without a second thought. "We're not going to let you kill yourself, and we're certainly not going to be your executioners! If we could get a hold of pure cells from Sephiroth, do you think that we would be able to cure their degradation? It wouldn't get Jenova out of their bodies, but they at least wouldn't be sick and falling apart."

 _Falling apart? Great Gospel? What the hell?_ Zack thrust out his jaw, deciding now was the time to start asking some tough questions and get some answers. So far, Aeris had said nothing about time travel, the things that were going to happen to Angeal, or angels, and those were the topics he wanted to hear the most about. Angeal's health was as good a topic to begin with as any, so he spread out a blanket on the floor, sat down and said, "Cloud 'ere tells me that people who have Jenova in their bodies 'become more and more monster-like as time goes by.' Can you tell me what _that_ means? I'm starting to get a little worried here and think that Angeal's gonna be in some real trouble soon. An explanation would be _nice."_

Cloud sensed the shift in Zack's mood and stiffened. Zack had never been a vindictive person by nature, but he feared that would change once he received his explanation. There was a very good chance that the things that they were about to tell him would push Zack over the edge, and cause him to go running out into the night, gunning for Hojo. _Nevertheless,_ he told himself, _a promise is a Promise. No more lies. No more secrets between us._ "Ifalna broke into Hojo's office when she escaped, and robbed the place," he cautiously said. "She made off with hundreds of files including the records he was keeping on Angeal. Hojo felt threatened by Hollander, and liked to document ways that Angeal was falling apart. One of his favorite things to look at was Angeal's brain scan."

Aeris slid open a floorboard and pulled out a folder. She handed it to Zack, who opened it with trembling fingers.

"Normal brain scan on the left," Cloud softly said, "abnormal brain scan on the right. Hojo's notes on the bottom. Gloating about how Angeal is going to become unstable unless his degradation is cured on the second page. Mental instability is one of the things that happens to people who've been blessed by the bitch."

Zack fell silent and gazed long and hard at the hateful picture. Aeris put her hand on his shoulder, and he knocked it away, not wanting her comfort. Cloud heard him sigh soundlessly, and they both decided to back away and give him some space while he absorbed this grim information. Blue eyes darkened, filling with rage. Bow lips twitched angrily, then flattened, and there was the rustling of pages being turned. Zack skimmed through the file, reading lurid detail after lurid detail, and thanked the Planet that Angeal hadn't turned into a raving lunatic with all the crap that Hojo and Hollander had put him through. "What else?" he asked at length, voice dipping as he prepared to be skewered for what felt like the one millionth time this week. "Tell me what that's gonna happen to him. I want to know - " - _so I can run my sword through that bastard's heart -_ " - EVERYTHING."

"Accelerated aging," said Aeris. "Flaking skin and two way conduit," intoned Cloud at the same time. "Hollander's number one goal was to create a Super SOLDIER, and he wanted to make sure Jenova's power passed to Angeal."

 _Two way conduit?_ What on earth did that mean? Zack grasped Cloud's arm, beseeching him for answers. "I don't understand what you just said. Two-way conduit?"

"That means that Angeal can absorb his enemies' traits and is an ideal weapon for the science department," Cloud impassively replied, certain that this revelation would be the thing that sent Zack storming out of the Church, convinced he was crazy. **"** They tried to make Genesis a two way conduit as well, but it didn't work out. He doesn't do things as well as Angeal does, which makes him a failure in Hollander's eyes, and Angeal a success," he anxiously said, disturbed by how well Zack appeared to be taking the news. "Freaky stuff, eh?"

 _Not really,_ thought Zack, assuming that Cloud was referring to special abilities like Drainga and Osmoga. _I use life-absorbing materia all the time. And I guess since Angeal and Genesis are Jenovaified, they use it better than I do. Makes sense_. "No big deal. No different than enhanced vision, super speed or super strength," he quipped, causing Cloud and Aeris to stare at him in bewilderment. "You have a skewed idea of what makes someone a monster, Cloud. The two-way conduit stuff doesn't sound that freaky to me, but..." His eyes hardened. "...This accelerated aging thing doesn't sound too cool. It sounds pretty bad to me. Like something out of a horror movie."

"It is bad," Cloud murmured, still troubled by Zack's easy acceptance. The last time Zack had learned about Angeal's ability to absorb traits from monsters, he had been horrified and talked about it for weeks. His best friend had either done a lot of maturing and re-assessed what defined someone as a "monster" or the explanation he'd given Zack had gone in one ear and gone out the other.

"The bad cells kill off the healthy cells and the healthy cells don't regenerate," picked up Aeris, sensing his hesitation. "So the people who are affected end up feeling constantly tired and sick. Then, after awhile, you get multiple organ failure or cardiac arrest. That, at least, is how I understand it."

"If you want to learn more about it, check out Hojo's diary," Cloud bitterly chimed in. "He has an entry predicting what he thinks is going to happen. You can tell, too, when you read it, that he enjoyed writing it."

Zack picked up said diary and flipped through the first twenty pages. He was unable to find the entry on accelerated-aging, but what he read was just as shocking and gruesome. Pure, unadulterated hatred bubbled up within him as he read about psychological torture and bizarre operations. Hojo seemed obsessed with becoming a god, and chattered endlessly about grafting tentacles and wings onto living human beings, if Sephiroth failed to live up to his potential. The perverse little man also seemed to get off on abusing women, for he repeatedly gloated about the sick things that he had done to Ifalna Faremis. Cute little nursery rhymes, reveling in the torture of the day, filled page after page, and made Zack want to puke. "'Boiling water in the lap hurts Mommy's pap.' 'Soap in the eye makes Mommy's Little Girl cry' and 'I'll be your friend when I have to stop making Mommy's hair stand on end'. What the fuck is wrong with this guy?" he whispered, slamming the diary shut with a shudder. "That's some of the most messed up stuff I've ever read!"

He passed the diary back to Aeris, and felt relieved when she put it away, out of mind, out of sight. "Something needs to be done about Hojo," he declared. "And Hollander."

Cloud put his hand up, signifying he didn't want either of them to touch Hollander. "Hollander is dying of lung cancer. As much as I'd love to take a sword to him, killing him wouldn't really accomplish anything. He's choking on his own poison. Let him rot."

And as far as Hojo was concerned, things would be done to ensure he got his just desserts. "I have something special planned for him," Cloud said with an intensity that made Zack's blood run cold. "When my 'stay' in Midgar is over, justice will be served and our friendly neighborhood doctor will be dealt with. Professor Hojo won't live to see Sephiroth turn twenty-six. I'm looking forward to sending him to hell."

Zack shifted about nervously and said, "Happy birthday, Sephiroth. That's a helluva a birthday present, Spike. But why wait so long? Why not do it sooner? The guy's a psychopath, and when he finds out that we're tampering with his 'projects,' he's gonna blow his rocker, and send every Turk on his payroll after us. I don't know if I'm gonna be able to protect you if he does that. I say take him out before he realizes what's happening. Maybe do it when he's vacationing in Costa del Sol. Sharks eat swimmers all the time, don't they?"

Cloud thought about it for a moment. Taking Hojo out in Costa del Sol was tempting, but the place would be crawling with Turks and the esteemed Professor would undoubtedly have a bimbo hanging around with him all weekend. They would likely have to kill her and some Turks to cover up their crime, and that, to Cloud, was morally repugnant. Harming innocent people was a big no-no in his book, as was violence against dumb, airhead women with poor taste in men. "Too populated, and we can't kill him just yet. We may need him. He knows things...we may end up having to 'extract' from him," he said after a pause. "I'll nail the bastard in Nibelheim. Everyone will think he got caught in the explosion when I blow up the mansion. How does that sound?"

Awesome! Great! Buuuut..."What if Hojo doesn't plan on returning to Nibelheim anytime soon?" Zack asked. "I snuck a peek at his schedule for the rest of the year, and it doesn't look like he has any plans to stop by your home town. His friends in high places have booked him to travel around the continent, giving lectures, and it looks like he has some fancy-smancy research project going on in Cosmo Canyon. How do you plan on getting him if he's holed up in some top-secret science facility?"

Cloud pinched his nose. He could only imagine what atrocities Hojo planned on doing to the Gi's, and hoped that he would be able to end the Professor's pathetic excuse for an existence before any harm befell Nanaki and his tribe. "Nibelheim, Cosmo Canyon, Midgar," he replied. "It makes no difference to me. One thing I've learned, Zack, is there's always a way to get at someone if you really want to kill them. Hojo may have a lot of body guards, but not even he is untouchable. One way or another, I'll find a way to get him. I swear -"

"No need to do that, Spike. We can, um, tell you're serious. You sound like you've put a lot of thought into this." Zack stammered, shaken by his Spiky-haired buddy's comments and attitude. Cloud's eagerness to pull the trigger disturbed him, and his remark about "finding a way to get at people if you really want to kill them" freaked him out. Killing people was not pleasant, and he feared that Cloud wasn't prepared to deal with the psychological ramifications of blowing Hojo's head off; the boy after all was only sixteen and to his knowledge, had never taken a human life before. "Let's give it some more thought later on, okay?" he proposed, hoping that Cloud would think long and hard about this, and realize that assassinating scumbags was best left to Junior Officers with experience. "We have awhile to think about it, and I want to know about time travel. Tell me how the hell time travel fits into all this. Last I checked, time travel was impossible."

 _So you say. Experience and learn - anything is possible,_ Aeris thought, smiling at him as she handed him a long shovel.

Zack stared dumbly at the shovel in his hands, baffled. He was not sure what she wanted him to do with it or how it related to time travel. "Is this, uh, a time machine?" he asked, eliciting a giggle from Aeris and a groan from Cloud. "Or is it, um, gonna turn into a time machine? I don't see a door. How am I supposed to get inside?"

A proverbial light bulb went off in his head as Aeris got on her hands and knees and began to shift through the soil. "Dig," she called out to him, "and make the spring flow for the flowers! I'll tell you about time travel while we dig deep into the earth! "

Zack got down beside her and plunged his shovel into the soil. He noticed that his shovel was five times the size of the tiny spade she was using, and wondered what she had been thinking when she had given it to him. He saw no need to use such a big shovel for such a small project, but decided not to waste time arguing with her about it when it was getting late and they still had a lot that they needed to discuss. "Time travel, eh," he said, once he had settled into a rhythm shoveling dirt. "How does that work? Spike tells me that this Jenova business involves time-travel. I don't suppose Hojo's freaky blue girlfriend is some kinda time traveler?"

 _You can call Jenova that, I suppose,_ Aeris mused, never having looked at the Calamity that way before. "She is a time traveler of sorts. She's been around for thousands of years. My mother told me, right before she died, that Jenova might be as old as the Planet itself. No one knows for sure."

"What is Jenova?" Zack wanted to know. "Is she a monster or a virus?"

"A bit of both," Aeris replied, disappointed by how little Cloud had told Zack. "The Cetra think of her as a sentient virus, because she was able to deceive them for so long, and pass herself off as a harmless organism. By the time they realized that she was the most wicked creature in the world, it was too late, and she had infected hundreds of people. The infected died in horrible ways, and Jenova moved on to find new people to kill. The cycle kept repeating itself, again - and again - and again, because Jenova would go dormant, and use the body of a dead Cetra to be her host. The body would be taken to the ruins to be buried and -"

" - Jenova would infect the people at the funeral, and kill them," Cloud interjected. "This kept happening until Aeris' ancestors wisened up and realized Jenova was using their forms to spread. They decided something needed to be done to stop her, so they banded together, and used their power to seal her in the Northern Crater. And she'd still be fossilized there today," he bitterly added, "if people hadn't gone poking around and found her. They dug her up - "

" - and brought her back to Shinra for study, and human experimentation," Zack spat. "Unbelievable. What was Hojo thinking?" He slammed his shovel against the floorboards and paced angrily around the flower bed. "What a son of a bitch! How can anyone be so messed up in the head? Sick bastard. Wait until I get my hands on his scrawny neck and snap it."

Aeris jumped up in alarm and ran to the door. She opened it and peeked outside, fearing that someone might have heard Zack. The Turks, she knew, were always listening, and homeless people frequently sat outside the Church door to beg for handouts. They would have no problem making out the things he'd said, because his voice carried very well, and he had been practically shouting when he had went on his tirade. _I hope Tseng isn't around,_ she prayed, as she walked up and down the street, _Or we'll be in deep trouble! I don't know how we'll be able to talk our way out of this one!_ she shivered, eyes falling on a large four wheel drive parked in the alley.

She approached the car out of curiosity, never having seen a car like it before. It looked very expensive and classy, and was covered with inspirational bumper stickers. The one on the front said "MBRACEURDREAMS," while the one on the back read, "YOU 'R A HERO." The "Pride 'N Honor' vanity plate was also pretty weird, and the "U Gotta Believe" windshield protector left Aeris scratching her head. The owner of the car was clearly a very righteous and devout person, but she couldn't figure out for the love of the Planet what they believed in; their philosophical bumper stickers were too deep for her. "Maybe someday you'll drop by the Church, and we can talk about 'm bracing your dreams," she said, giving the car an affectionate pat on the hood.

She hurried out of the alley, and jogged back up the steps to the Church. Cloud was waiting for her at the door, and he looked worried. "Was anyone out there?" he asked. "The Turks are eventually going to come back, you know, and the kid who likes to steal everyone's wallets likes to hang out around here."

Aeris opened his hand and closed his fingers around..."The keys to the Church. Go outside, lock the door, and keep watch for me? Let me know if Tseng shows up, and do your best to distract him while I get Zack out. I don't want them to find him here and put him under surveillance. You're no one to them, but he would be a person of interest."

Cloud was not sure what he'd say to Tseng if the Turks showed up, but he took the keys, and accepted the assignment. "I can probably get him to chase after me if I fire paintballs at him," he humorlessly said, picking up a paintball gun someone had left lying in the street. "He went ballistic when Yuffie threw vegetables at him in Edge, and spent the entire afternoon hunting her down."

Aeris hugged him and kissed him real quickly on the cheek. "Don't do anything that will get you expelled," she softly said. "People are counting on you to get into SOLDIER and set things straight. The Planet has chosen you to be her Guardian." She pulled away from him as Zack came to the door, and poked his head outside. "And you," she giggled, "should come back inside with me! We have a hole we need to finish digging, and I want to tell you about a group of brave adventurers who fought Jenova!"

"Oh yeah?" Zack's curiosity was instantly aroused. "Who the hell were they?"

Aeris closed the door and dragged him back to the flower bed. "A group of friends," she told him. "The leader was a young warrior, who wanted to grow up and become a hero. And he was accompanied by a monk, an assassin, a one-armed gunman, and a grumpy old fuddy-duddy," she added, intentionally leaving out the "Treasure Princess," Nanaki and the robo-cat for the time-being; Zack would have no problem identifying Reeve and Yuffie, and she was not sure what Cloud had told him about the talking Gi. Best, she decided, to error on the side of caution for now. "Together, they made a pretty mean team. Nothing could stand up to them, except Jenova and her - " - _son - "_ \- "protector, the Fallen Warlord."

Zack made a face at the names. "Fallen Warlord" was cheesy as hell, and you couldn't get much worse than "Grumpy Old Fuddy Duddy." Telling stories was clearly not the something that Aeris was good at, and he found himself wishing that his buddy, Cloud, would come back inside, and participate. Cloud was, no offense, a great story teller, and Zack was beginning to get a headache trying to figure out what the Cetra-girl was saying. "Dig, and make the spring flow for the flowers!" he understood, but "The Planet has chosen you to be her Guardian..." and "The flowers are so happy, they're trembling with joy!" was translator-material to him. "Who was this Fallen Warlord guy?" he asked, cringing at the name. "Sounds like a real piece of work. Like Hojo."

"He was the greatest swordsman in the world," Aeris explained, with a sad shake of her pretty head. "People who hated him deceived him, and led him to believe that human beings were responsible for the disease that'd been killing off the Ancients. They told him that he and Jenova were Ancients whom had survived the plague, and their lies drove him insane. He went on a rampage and destroyed an entire town, then went after Jenova - hell bent on rescuing her and traveling with her to the Promised Land."

Zack chewed on his lip, trying to remember where he had heard this story before. The one-armed gunman sounded familiar, and the Fallen Warrior was someone whom he _knew_ he had identified with when he had been told the tale. His internship had required running errands for the science department, so he supposed, he might have read about it then, but it seemed unlikely to him that Hojo would leave classified files out for errand-boy consumption. "What happened to the Gener - I mean, the bad guy?" he inquired, subconsciously identifying the Fallen Warlord as Sephiroth. "How did they stop him after he nuked the town? It sounds like that guy was carrying a lot of fire power and had some mad skills. It's not easy to stop someone like that."

"No, it wasn't easy," Aeris said, squeezing his quivering hands. "The young warrior and his best friend confronted the Warlord. They fought a grueling battle and were beaten down. The Warlord laughed at them and plunged his sword into their bodies, intending to kill them for challenging him. But - at the last moment - a miracle occurred: the young warrior climbed to his feet and gave the Warlord a huge shove. The Warlord was not expecting this, and went flying into the Lifestream. The young warrior and his friend passed out, and were taken prisoner. They were tossed into the labs and spent five years in an underground dungeon."

Zack started, eyes snapping open. "I remember reading this part in the science archives!" he declared excitedly, eagerly embracing a false memory. "The warrior and his friend are tortured, and the warrior almost doesn't make it. The scientists poison them, but the poison has no effect on his friend. The friend kills the guards and breaks them out, and they go on the run, making their way back to this city where there're people who'll help them!" He leaned into her in a daze, appalled that he had forgotten such valuable information. "They almost make it, but they're ambushed, and the warrior's friend is gunned down! The warrior recovers from his poisoning and - and - "

" - sneaks into the city," Aeris answered, feeling hopeful that Zack would remember everything that had happened to him and Cloud without intervention from the Planet. "He assumes his dead friend's identity and goes searching for the Warlord, who is still alive. His search takes him to the poor sector, where he meets an Ancient, who agrees to journey with him. The monk, the one-armed gunman, etcetera, join his party soon after, and they go traveling across the continent recruiting friends to help them. Does this part sound familiar?"

 _"Yes! Yes,"_ Zack started to say. "It - "

"No, it doesn't," he ended up shaking his head and telling her. "I don't remember what happened after the warrior got gunned down. You'll have to tell me."

Aeris heaved a sigh and resumed digging. It was beginning to look like she would need to submerge Zack in the Lifestream, after all, and she was not looking forward to performing the Memory Ritual on him. It would be emotionally painful for Zack, and re-experiencing getting gunned down by the Shinra Army would scar him. The alternative, however, was Zack racing out into the night, convinced that she and Cloud had made everything up, and she was determined not to let _that_ happen. "Very well," she continued. "They traveled across the continent, and eventually learned that the Warlord was seeking the Black Materia. He had gone completely insane, and wanted to use it to summon a big meteor and kill everyone. He believed that killing everyone would elevate him to godhood, and avenge Jenova."

 _Wait - wait. Black Materia? Blow up the Planet?_ Zack had no idea what she had just said, and knit his brows. "You're moving too fast for me," he exclaimed. "I have no clue what this Black Materia thingamabob is. I assume it's some kinda Cetra thing? Tell me how that works with you Ancients."

Aeris pressed her lips together, torn between answering and evading the question. She feared he would freak out if she discussed her Cetra-origins with him, and did not trust herself to maintain her composure if she started revisiting memories she wanted to forget. The last time she had thought about what had happened to her mother, she had been reduced to tears, and the spirits in the Lifestream had howled - and howled - and howled, leaving her with a ringing-headache for days. She had no desire to go through emotional hell again and have her life-story be questioned by him, but knew, at heart, that she would be betraying his trust and letting down Cloud if she started withholding information now. "The Black Materia is the most destructive materia in existence on the Planet," she said at last to Zack. "The night that Hojo tried to operate on my mother without anesthesia, she told me that the Ancients hid it to prevent Jenova from finding it. I was too young at the time to understand her warning, but as I grew older - and saw what evil people are capable of - it became clear to me what _I_ had to do. As the Last Living Ancient, it is my _duty_ to make sure the Black Materia never falls into the wrong hands again."

"Where is this Black Materia thingy?" breathed Zack. "Far away I hope and outta reach of creeps like Hojo?"

"For now, yes. My people hid it well," Aeris said, refusing to be any more specific than that. If Hojo ever got word that she had told him about the Black Materia, he would torture Zack until he revealed its location to him. "But there may come a day when Jenova and Hojo search for it. Jenova would use it to kill us, and Hojo would want it, because it would give him godhood," she added, voice dropping and face becoming still.

Zack frowned and wrapped his arm around Aeris, pulling her towards him. He sensed her distress and realized, with horror, that he had contributed to her pain with his insistent, invasive questions. "I'm sorry," he apologized, gently lifting her onto his lap. He caressed her shoulders and neck, hoping that he could hug away her shivers, and she thanked him by leaning into him and pressing her back against his chest. "I wouldn't have asked, if I'd known that it would upset you. I wasn't trying to stir things up. You had me scared, thinking about the big meteor and all, and I - I wanted to know how that thing could be stopped, or if everyone dies once it gets summoned. Jenova's crazy bodyguards have gone looking for that thing in the past, and I'm guessing that bitch would send more loonies after it, if she learned that - "

"You can't," Aeris interrupted him.

"Can't what?" Zack cried.

"Can't destroy the Black Materia," she clarified. "The Ancients wanted to destroy it, but they couldn't, so they hid it, and built traps to kill anyone who tried to take it.

"The Warlord was clever, though, and waited until the young warrior and his friends had disabled the traps. He let them face the danger, while he hid at the bottom of the Northern Crater, recovering from the wound he'd received when he'd been thrown into the Lifestream. Once the Black Materia was in their possession, he revealed himself, and manipulated the warrior into giving it to him. The warrior and his party were fooled, and the Warlord took the Black Materia with him into the center of the Planet, knowing that it would be impossible for them to retrieve it. He summoned Meteor, and life on this Planet would have ended if the Ancient traveling with the warrior hadn't had sacrificed herself.

"She left the party, journeyed to the Forgotten City of the Ancients, and prayed to the Planet to spare everyone. The Planet heard her prayer, and summoned Holy. Holy emerged from the Planet and destroyed the Meteor, and the warrior and his friends killed the Warlord and sent him back to the Lifestream. Jenova was weakened and the Black Materia disappeared. The Ancient went on to watch over the happiness of others from the Lifestream, and the warrior went on to experience other adventures; but those other adventures," she told him with a soft laugh, a faint smile and a perky bob of the head, "are stories for another day. Right now, we need to talk about you and Cloud. And I need to find a way to make you believe in the Planet and reincarnation."

Zack nodded solemnly, ready to be provided with proof. He had believed everything that she had told him about time travel and Angeal, but her story about the Warlord and the warrior had been stretching it. And reincarnation...wow, seriously, what the fuck. _That_ one would take awhile for him to wrap his head around, and he wasn't sure that he wanted to go down that road. He was having a hard enough time accepting things, and talk about reincarnation would make it one hundred thousand times more difficult. "Can you prove to me that the warrior and the Warlord existed?" he asked her, point blank. "Surely, there must be something from that time that proves that this happened! Maybe a weapon or a piece of clothing or?"

"Holy. The last defense of the Planet, and the only one of its kind in existence. " Aeris said quietly, loosening the pink ribbon in her hair and letting her braid out. She yanked the ribbon out and spread it out so he could see the round, green jewel sewn into it. His eyes became round as saucers as the White Materia orb on the floor hummed and buzzed, responding to his presence. She felt his hands tighten around her, and smiled at him, knowing that she had succeeded in making him believe. He gaped at her and she took his hands, and put the White Materia in his cupped palms. "My mother gave it to me when she died and told me to look after it. If the Black Materia's ever found or we're endangered again, I'm to call on Holy, and it'll rise up to protect the Planet. You can't tell anyone that you've seen this, though, Zack, or say that you know where it is. Hojo will kill you if he finds out and Cloud would worry himself sick, thinking that I'm going to run off to the Forgotten City and try to summon it; he knows about the Warlord and the warrior and fears that I'd end up like _her._

"If you must talk to someone," she continued, "talk to Doctor Bugenhagen in Cosmo Canyon. He is a good person and has no love for Shinra. He knows all about the Ancients and the Forgotten City, and can take you there, if me showing you Holy is not enough."

"That - probably - won't be necessary. I - believe you," stammered Zack, staring in wonder at the materia in his hands. He trembled as it vibrated and held it up, thrusting it above his head for closer inspection. Moonlight, pouring in from the hole in the ceiling, washed over the orb, causing it to shimmer. Ripples formed on the surface, spreading out as he tilted it from side to side, and the humming grew louder. Ethereal bubbles floated across the green-tinted shell, and Zack felt as though he was looking into a snow globe, watching the snowflakes rain down. "What is it doing?" he questioned, when the bubbles swelled up, and began to torpedo about. "Does it hate me or something? It doesn't think I'm an enemy, does it? I know I've done some bad things with Shinra, but I've _changed_. That's all in the past. I think the science department's full of it, and President Shinra's a greedy little son of a bitch. I'm on the Planet's side now. Doesn't that put me in good standing?"

"No, it doesn't," replied Aeris. The Planet still saw him as a memory-less fragment with divided loyalties, and he would have to make himself believe in order for it to accept him. "It sees you as incomplete. You will have to become whole if you want to be the Planet's friend."

 _You don't say?_ Zack gaped at her. "You just totally lost me," he said. "'Incomplete?' 'Have to become whole if you want to be the Planet's friend?' What the fuck! Can you, umm, translate that for me? I don't speak Planet and I dunno what you just said to me."

Aeris grimaced and took the White Materia back from him. Something told her that _now_ was the time, so she hardened her eyes, steeling herself for the freak out she knew was going to ensue. She set the White Materia aside, stashing it where it couldn't be picked up and thrown, or trampled, and said, "The Planet grants second chances to people who left behind unfinished business when they died. They come back incomplete with no memory of who they were, and re-live the events from their previous lives. Sometimes they repeat their mistakes and other times they live out the lives that they should have lived in the first place. The warrior was reincarnated, after he was reclaimed by the Planet, and..." She met Zack's gaze and held his hand, clinging to him with a grasp of iron. "...You were brought back as well, Zack," she told him, voice breaking as he lost his balance, and fell hard against the floorboards. "The Planet felt that you deserved a second chance, because Shinra cruelly used you, and you were devastated when you found out Angeal was degrading."

" I'm sorry, but I don't believe in reincarnation, no offense," Zack icily stated. He peeled himself off the floor and sat up, fixing his eyes on the shovel, poking up out of the ground in the flower bed. Better to look at the shovel, he thought, as she grabbed at him, beseeching him to look at her, than to look her in the eyes, and tell her how crazy she sounded. "I believe that we only get one chance, and that if we screw up, we have to live with the consequences and be accountable for our actions," he told her, quoting stuff that Angeal had drilled into his head. "I do, however, have great respect for your spiritual beliefs, and I think it's cool that you believe in reincarnation. The Planet would be a very boring place if we all believed in the same thing if y'know what I mean, hun?"

"Yes, I do," Aeris returned haggardly.

_But, Zack -_

"It's _not_ some personal spiritual belief," she insisted, reaching out and grabbing the shovel. With a powerful wrench, she ripped it from the soil and threw it into the air. Zack's eyes widened as she spun it over her head, twirling it around effortlessly with inhuman strength. And they grew even bigger when she thrust it into the floor, shattering cobblestoned tiles and smashing the floorboards.

Pieces of mortar shot into the air around them, and splinters flew everywhere as she cast her most powerful Limit Break. Zack flung up his hand to shield his face as chips ricocheted off the stain glass windows and columns. He plunged his free hand into the flower bed to stabilize himself, and found himself gasping as the orchids rose up on their roots and wrapped their leaves around his wrist, gently handcuffing him. The violets rushed to assist them, pulling themselves out of the soil to cling to his ankles, as the Lifestream burst from the ground. Parched lips parted and chest muscles tightened as emerald-tinted water jettisoned towards the bell tower, rocketing skyward. Zack let out a soft cry as spray waterfalled down on him, soaking his pants and shirt. Water gushed out of knots in the floorboards and holes in the pews, and whipped around him, eagerly engulfing him. The dandelions arched elegantly above the water as the flower-garden became a small pond. And amidst all of it was Aeris, smiling down at him from her perch on the altar like a glowing, radiant goddess.

"What have you done?" Zack hissed, heart palpitating as the ceiling rained water and a stain glass window magically shattered. Disbelief rippled through him as he tore his wrists free, snapping the leaves in his alarm. "Stuff like this shouldn't be possible," he whispered, as he splashed through the sparkling, unmuddied water. "Not even for you. How can this be?"

Aeris tensed as he balled up his waterlogged shirt and flung it into the middle of the pond, crushing a dandelion and damaging some fennel. He was not thinking clearly, and she knew from her past experiences with him, that when that happened, anything could happen. "Do you believe what you see?" she asked him with quivering eyes and shaking shoulders.

Zack plunged his hands into the pond and let the water run through his fingers. "I - have - to," he choked, overwhelmed by the sight. He pulled back from the pool and hopped up onto the altar as misty, ethereal tendrils of Lifestream energy rose up, beckoning to him. "But this - "

" - is real, Zack, and so are second chances." Aeris reassured him, hopping down from her perch on the altar. She lifted up her skirt and waded through the pool as white butterflies descended through the hole in the ceiling and alighted on the water's surface. "If the Planet can give us the power to make water fall from the ceiling in a Church, I would think that it can reincarnate a person. If you can make yourself believe in water falling from the ceiling, don't you think that you should give reincarnation a chance? How can you believe in a monster like Jenova, but not believe in the goodness of the Planet?"

Zack lowered his eyes as three butterflies landed on his forehead - forming a crown of feelers, legs and wings. He lifted his chin slowly and said, "I _believe_ in the Planet, but I'm not sure I want to know _who_ I was in some past life. Y'know the saying about ignorance being bliss?"

Yeah, she did. Her mother had taught it to her.

"Sometimes ignorance _is_ bliss; I have done some very bad things," he admitted. "Tseng wanted to recruit me at one point, because I was so good at getting tough cookies to crack, and that scares me. Makes me wonder if I was an enforcer for Tseng in a previous existence. Or if I did nasty stuff to people when I learned Angeal was falling apart. I could've gone off my rocker and pulled a Warlord on people, for all we know. Taking out the science department has crossed my mind several times since Spike got me involved in this whole Jenova business. Freaks me out to think I might be some reincarnated monster."

 _You? A monster? "_ Don't say that!"Aeris fumed, shooting him a glare as the door opened and Cloud moseyed in. The blond came to an abrupt halt when he saw the water falling from the ceiling and butterflies nestling happily in Zack's hair, and Aeris perked up, knowing that Cloud's presence would help set Zack at ease. "You saved Midgar and Junon, fought in the Wutai wars, and did all sorts of cool things with Angeal. You rescued and inspired kids," she exclaimed, with an affectionate glance at Cloud, "and you died a hero! There was _nothing_ monstrous about you, Zack. However..." She blushed. "There were times when you got really whipped up. And made Cloud and the flowers scared. Cloud feared you'd do bad things to his hair, and the flowers were afraid you would step on them. I hate to say this, but they lived in constant terror of you."

Zack scratched his head, not sure how to respond to that. On one hand, he was relieved to hear that she didn't think he had the capacity to be a monster. On the other, he was highly offended that she thought that Cloud and the flowers had lived in mortal terror of him. Surely, he bristled with mock indignation, the way he'd treated them in his so-called past life hadn't been _that_ bad. Cloud's hair was straw spun into gold to him - light and precious and magical - and he _loved_ flowers. Mistreating them was the furthest thing that would ever cross his mind, and - "How in the blazes do you know this stuff?" he demanded, reaching for Cloud's fluffy blond bangs so he could show her that she was mistaken about him not being gentle. "Were you there when all this alleged flower abuse occurred, or did the Planet tell you what I was like? Don't tell me you peeped and looked at my life story?" he nervously laughed, letting his disbelief go in the height of his stress. Now that the conversation was heading towards the insane, he desperately needed to relax and unwind. If that meant acting like he was some great reincarnated hero, so be it. "Where did you see me abuse Chocobo's hair? In your magic mirror?"

"You show him the mirror, I'm going to get going!" was the alarmed "Chocobo's" reply.

Cloud ducked and put his hands over his head, regretting that he had come in to retrieve his sword, and Aeris smiled and started to drag Zack away from the altar. She knew that they had a long way to go to convince him and suspected that he was playing along and indulging her, but that, for the time being, was acceptable for her. The important thing was that they get Zack to _willingly_ go inside the pond and stand in the water. "Come look inside my reflecting pool!" she encouraged the frazzled 1st. "You will find the answers that you seek inside the water! The Lifestream contains the memories of everyone who's lived and died! Don't you want to re-experience all the adventures you had?"

 _Nuh-uh,_ Zack wanted to say. _The -_ "Water's freezing," he complained, as he reluctantly lowered himself into the flooded flower bed. "It's cold."

He pressed his knees into the soil and slicked back his hair as the water crashed down on him, plastering his bangs to his forehead. Spectral tendrils rose up, stretching out towards him. His body went limp as the mist drifted into his eyes, blinding him. He heard a door slam and the Cetra-girl laugh, and felt the world fade out of focus and roll away. The last thing he heard was Cloud say, "An unlisted caller keeps trying to call my PHS." And then it all went black.

**_εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000_ **

_When he opened his eyes, he was no longer in the Church and everything around him was pitch black. Cloud and the Cetra-girl were nowhere in sight, and he was alone in the Lifestream. He pulled his jacket around his shoulders, clinging tightly to the sleeves, as the darkness started to roll away, and things that were familiar to him started to appear. Steel and leather materialized around him, followed by warm, black knit cloth. Skyscrapers, billboards advertising the latest product of the day, and giant mako refineries sprung up in front of him, springing from barren ground. Cars zoomed by below him and airplanes whistled past overhead. A siren began to wail loudly in the distance and stoplights began to flicker urgently, flashing red - then yellow - red - then yellow. Night had fallen upon Midgar._

_Zack rose unsteadily to his feet and found himself soaring above the skylights in the back of a helicopter. Angeal was at his side, steadying him gently as they bore down upon a train, tearing across the tracks beneath them. They were both dressed in their SOLDIER uniforms, and had their weapons out. The pilot was warbling nervously in the front seat, and Zack began to feel annoyed, listening to him complain about the simulation they were doing._ **C'mon** , cut me some slack, _he thought_ , _disappointed that the spirits in the Lifestream had chosen to show him_ _this_ _when Aeris had told him that his previous existence had been full of danger._ Where's the adventure _?_ _"When do I get to see some action?" he fidgeted out loud, as the pilot attempted to line the chopper up parallel with the runaway locomotive. "I'm getting really steamed watchin' these Wutai freaks run amuck in Midgar. Can I jump outta the copter and take a few of 'em out before we reach Sector 1?"_

_Angeal sighed as he threw himself against the side door, futilely trying to get it open. "Zack, you need to focus and think about what you're doing," his mentor said in his deep, baritone voice. "Jumping out of helicopters is very dangerous."_

_Zack winced at his mentor's words. Worried eyes homed in on him as he threw his arms up and said, "But **you** do stuff like this all the time, 'ngeal. Why should it be any different for me?"_

It won't be. _Angeal arched an eyebrow at him and pushed him towards the door. Zack spun around, blinking in surprise as the older man slid past him, and started to enter codes into the control panel. Relief and happiness flowed through him as Angeal unsealed the door for him, and ripped off the chains that kept it closed. A grin spread across his face as the 1st thrust the chains into his arms. Leather-clad hands fingers caressed his chin protectively as wind billowed into the helicopter, driving them back. Zack looked over his shoulder at Angeal and beamed. "Sooooo," he said, shifting closer to the door, "do I get to cut loose or should I exy-cise caution and show some, um, restraint?"_

_His companion folded his arms. "Take whatever measures you feel are necessary," Angeal told him. "The people onboard that train are highly-skilled assassins."_

_"So do what I gotta do to stop 'em from killing innocent civilians." Zack yapped, thrusting his hands out to protect himself. "Okay, gotcha. SOLDIER 1st Class Zack ready for action!" he shouted, throwing himself headfirst through the door._

_Pain wracked his body as he crashed-landed on top of the out of control locomotive. He gasped as his booted feet slammed against the metal and his knuckles were crushed against the glass, but quickly pulled himself up, knowing that he had to keep moving. Loud shouts coming from above warned him of his peril and put him into flight mode. Rocks and debris rained down on him as he sprang to his feet and started running, dashing down the car, and more deadly things soon followed, for the Wutainese terrorists fired their guns at him, forcing him to leap from car to car to get away from them. He swore under his breath as the sound of gunfire outside alerted the hijackers inside the train to his presence and they began to arm themselves._

_"Angeal," he shouted into his headset, "who created this simulation? They're crawling through the **windows** and grappling down bridges to take a shot at me. How on earth is this fair?"_

_"The enemy, Zack, doesn't play fair," was Angeal's cryptic response, which meant "I designed this simulation, and I'm re-programming things on the fly to give you a challenge." "You're going to have to think creatively if you want to defeat your foes."_

_"Creative eh? I can do that," Zack muttered, equipping his training sword. "I'm one of the most creative people that we've got around here!"_

_He raised his weapon to shield himself and charged, barreling towards the foot soldiers in front of him. The enemy opened fire on him, but they were no match for a mako-enhanced SOLDIER with superior strength and speed. Their bullets ricocheted harmlessly off his blade as he went into a spin, tornadoing their way. Guns were discarded for bayonets as he blasted them with Thundaga, rendering their weapons useless, then bayonets were exchanged for combat knives. The world darkened before their eyes as he ripped through them with his sword, lifted them up and hurled them under the train, and crippled them with powerful butterfly kicks. Angeal called out to him, warning him to be careful as he smashed their heads together, kicked their weapons away with elaborate foot sweeps, and terrorized them with sharp jabs and open handed strikes. One by one they fell before him, and in groups of twos and threes the reinforcements turned tail, and retreated._

_Zack lowered his weapon and surveyed the carnage. "How did I do?" he inquired proudly, hoping Angeal would praise him for using advanced techniques that he wasn't supposed to know. "Did I do awesome, or did I do awesome?"_

Decent. _Angeal grunted into the comlink, padded over to the control panel and pulled the plug. Simulated Midgar faded away, disintegrating in a swirl of cubed green pixels. Zack ripped his safety visor off and watched indignantly as his mentor aborted the mission. He tossed his visor into his duffel bag, waved his arms around and exclaimed, "Awww, what'd you do that for? I was winning. I was kicking butt. I was mopping the floor with their asses. I was about to get serious!"_

_Angeal smiled sadly at him and started to walk towards the door. "You were doing an incredible job, little Puppy," he kindly said, "but we do not have time to live out every moment of your life. Time grows short and you are needed upstairs. Put your weapon away, and then go to the Board Room. I will meet you there shortly."_

_Zack froze in his tracks, struck by the First Sergeant's words. Hope and doubt rose up within him, growing in their intensity until they overwhelmed him. Could it be, he wondered, with quickening pulse and fluttering heartbeat, that Angeal knew what was going to happen to him ? Could Angeal, he asked, through sharp breaths, shuttered expression, and tense shoulders, help him make sense out of everything and guide him? Tell him what he was supposed to do? And make him believe the mad-sounding things Aeris and Spike were telling him?_ Please, Angeal, _he pleaded, as he charged through the door after his mentor,_ Don't go! _"Wait! Wait, Angeal! Hold up! What did you say about not needing to live everything out? I don't understand! Can you explain it to me? I need you to tell me what the Planet wants from me and what," he gasped in dismay, when he saw that Angeal had vanished into one of the many offices on the floor, "I can do for my bro. Please, tell me, how I can be a friend to my really good friend?"_

_He jammed his hands into his pockets and wandered up and down the hall, peeking into offices, hoping he could find Angeal before he went upstairs. Instructors looked up from their work warily as he smushed his face against their windows, and cadets laughed and pointed at him. Kevin Gillett stuck his tongue out at him, as rude in this world as he was in the present, real world, and Kunsel jumped up and waved at him. The friendly 2nd ran out to greet him, but Zack waved him away, turning down the offer to chat, and hurried on._

_It wasn't long before he found himself standing in the lobby, surrounded by potted plants and military propaganda._

_Right at that moment, the elevator door behind him slid open with a whoosh, and out popped..._

_"Spike!" Zack exclaimed, hurrying across the carpet to meet his friend. He threw his arms around the smaller boy, giving him a large Zack hug. "Boy, am I glad to see you, chocobo," he said, placing his hands on Cloud's shoulders. "Angeal ran off, and I've been trying to wrap my head around all this insanity! Think you can give me a few pointers here? I'm having a hard time figuring out which way's up and which way's down!"_

_Cloud startled him by biting his lip and looking away. Zack let go, fearing that he had hurt his friend, and Cloud squeezed his hand to let him know that he was physically okay._ But not emotionally _, Zack winced, now concerned. He had never seen Cloud look so burdened, so troubled, so stretched thin, and his protective instincts took over. His fingers ghosted across the blond's face as he took in haunted, shot, disoriented eyes - disheveled bangs - and hunched over shoulders. Oversized black pants sloppily tucked into white commando boots with scuffed up brown toes. Frayed fingerless gloves. A ratty, sleeveless sweatshirt and dented, badly scraped up armor. Anger rose up within him as he inspected Cloud's arms and saw that they were covered with fresh scrapes and wounds. "Spike," he hissed, through clenched teeth, "what happened to you? Are you okay?"_

_Cloud broke away from him and walked over to the vending machine. "Yeah, I'm fine," the younger boy shrugged. "I just bombed the first part of the entrance exams. If I fail the second part, I can kiss SOLDIER good-bye and say hello to the army."_

No way, _Zack mouthed, not believing what he was hearing._ Impossible _. After everything that his Spiky-haired friend had done to get ready for the exams, surely it couldn't end this way. Are the examiners, he wondered, on drugs? Did Reno get them high?_ Is Hojo running the panel? _"I - don't know what to say," he stammered, after a moment of long, awkward silence. "Those people must be crazy. You're the best damn fighter I know and you have Genesis on your side. Doesn't a letter of recommendation from Genesis carry any weight with the committee? If I went in there and put in a good word for you, would it make a difference, you think?"_

_Cloud clasped his training sword to his chest, hugging it tightly. He pressed his forehead against the vending machine and stared at his reflection in the glass - hating himself for being over-confident and arrogant. Despising himself for lying to Tifa and his mother about getting into SOLDIER. And loathing the examiners for being narrow-minded and unwilling to consider his potential. Hot, angry tears trickled down his cheeks as he looked over his shoulder at Zack and said, "No, it wouldn't. All you would end up doing is making them mad. There's nothing you can do at this time, Zack. You've got to wait. When I go back into that exam room, the panel will pull my application, and tell me to wait a year before re-applying. And the next time you see me, I'll be a grunt helping you track down a traitor in Modeoheim. And Genesis is not on my side. He never mentored me in this lifetime."_

_"WHAT?" Zack cried, shaking his head, voice wavering. "That's - "_

_" - What's gonna happen." Cloud cut him off, straightening up and pulling himself together. He clenched his fists and gazed at Zack sorrowfully, cringing at what he had to tell his friend. Weary blue eyes met incredulous mako-infused ones, locking onto them. Zack stiffened as their eyes met and Cloud reached for him, wishing that he could be there for his companion and follow him down the long, dark road that lay ahead. The corners of Cloud's lips turned up, twisting into a bitter smirk. Zack smiled back at his friend, thinking that Cloud was going to make a joke to break the tension and set him at ease - but Cloud merely shook his head at the irony of the situation they were in, and gave him a look of forced calm and resigned acceptance. Strength and power radiated off him, and as his eyes swept over the skylines in the distance, his body seemed to shimmer and grow taller. "You gotta accept it," he continued, deflectionlessly_. _"You_ can't _change it and ...I can't help you. Nor can Angeal. We're not supposed to say anything. Or remember."_

_"I don't understand. Why - not?" Zack demanded, struck by the unfairness of it all. "Why does it have to be this way?"_

Because it does. That's how it is, _Cloud lamented. "I'm sorry, Zack," he strained, "but we need to forget. Next time we meet, it'll be as though we were meeting for the first time. And it'll be the same with Angeal, too. When you go upstairs to that Board meeting, he'll have forgotten."_

_Zack flopped down on the lobby couch, looking defeated. "But why?" he persisted. "Why? This entire thing -"_

_" - is your story, Zack," Cloud said, giving his friend a chilling look._ _"_ You've got _to live out the story, Zack, so it'll become_ **real** _to you and cease to be_ **a fantasy** _in my head. It's - the only way, Zack. You won't believe me unless you experience it yourself."_

_Zack nodded, not sure what to say in response. He got up, walked over to Cloud, and stood by his side. The two of them spent several minutes staring out the window, in silence, before Cloud tilted his head towards the elevator and said, "Angeal's waiting. It's time to go. Are you ready, Zack?"_

Yeah - I guess. Sure. Why not? _Zack shrugged. "Lead on."_

_He followed Cloud into an office, where Angeal and Lazard were sitting at a computer terminal. They were talking in hushed voices and Angeal was frowning as the Director clicked on a file, bringing up a photo of Genesis. Zack shifted about uneasily as things that he had never cared to know about Genesis rolled past him on the projector. He had a feeling that he did not belong in this meeting, and walked up to Angeal, hoping that his mentor would prove Cloud wrong and offer guidance to him. Angeal turned to him nervously as he approached, and lightheartedly said, "Zack reporting for duty. What do we have going on here? Some kinda performance review for Genesis? Don't tell me that he got in trouble again for putting down cadets? If he's in trouble, please reconsider and give 'im a second chance. He's really good with Spike and - "_

_"Zack, sit down. It's a meeting, not a performance review, and your behavior is completely inappropriate," Angeal interrupted, blue eyes flashing with displeasure. He slanted a glance at Director Lazard, who was frowning at them both, and Zack felt his face heat up. "I've recommended you for 1st. Please try to act like a 1st class officer instead of a cadet."_

Officer! _Zack echoed, eyes becoming as big as saucers_. Since when? _The last time they'd talked about his promotion, Angeal had repeatedly emphasized that he was being hired as a Junior Officer, not an Officer. Had someone, he gulped, been reassigned? Was he being hired to take an important person's place and help Genesis take out the rebels in Wutai? God, he hoped so. Every 1st dreamt about being given Command, and he was itching to go to Wutai and beat the crap out of Lord Godo. "I'm sorry, sir," he apologized, holding a gloved hand out to the Director. "I didn't mean to speak so flippantly to you. When will I be leaving?"_

_Lazard lowered his glasses and blinked, surprised that Zack was being so calm about his promotion to SOLDIER 1st. He had expected the young man to hug him, make a scene and go dancing around the room, not...stand there bewilderedly in the corner, scrutinizing him as though they had just met. Someone, he concluded, must have tipped Angeal's Puppy off and told him that he was being recommended for great things. "You can leave as soon as you are packed," he said at length, recovering from his surprise. "This war has gone on long enough and the mission is currently stuck in limbo. That is why we have decided to send you," he added quickly._

_Zack stilled, sensing that Lazard was withholding information from him. He turned to Angeal, beseeching him to "remember," or at the very least explain what they wanted him to do in Wutai. Angeal, however, refused to meet his gaze and kept staring at the wall, transfixed by the picture on the screen, and Zack began to have a sinking feeling. A knot formed in his stomach, and Lazard confirmed his fears by reaching across him and marking Genesis' file as "INACTIVE." "Will I - be assisting Commander Rhapsodos?" he asked nervously, certain now that Genesis had been removed from the mission to make room for him._

_"No, you'll be assisting me," Angeal heavily said. "SOLDIER 1st Class Genesis has been missing for over a month now. Your responsibility will be to lead an assault on Fort Tambelin while our covert operatives set off a bomb and to help bring Genesis home if he is still - "_

"...Alive..." _Zack finished for him. "How - how did it happen?" he whispered in shock, face paling as "INACTIVE" was changed to "LOST IN ACTION."_

_Shock turned to confusion as Angeal swung around in his chair and gazed at him, questioning why he cared so much about a man whom he, in this lifetime, had apparently never been introduced to. And then confusion turned to momentary panic as the world wavered, and the darkness swelled up around him, consuming Cloud, Angeal and the Board Room. Midgar and Shinra were swallowed up by the Void, and Zack was forced to his knees as wooden floors turned to grass, carpets to fallen green leaves, and window panes warped, becoming tall trees. He drew his sword and held it out as bullets ricocheted off buildings, grenades went off in the distance, and fire lit up the night sky. His Buster Blade shimmered, gleaming faintly, as red-hot coals rained down around him. The coals turned to ash as they hit the ground, dying unheroic deaths in the rotting compost, and insurgents screamed around him, shrieking as a bomb went off. Shrapnel flew about, ripping through flesh and tearing through glass, and smoke billowed out of a hut, making the air unbreathable._

_Zack went on high alert as heavy-booted feet crunched through the leaves, heading towards him. He had no idea where on earth he was, but suspected he was in Wutai, because Angeal had said that they would be going there. "I'm warning you," he unthinkingly called out to his enemies, "not to try any funny business. I'm a Shinra SOLDIER, and I'm armed and dangerous and ready to defend myself. If you try anything, I will be forced to use extreme measures - "_

_"Such as?"_

_"General." Zack croaked, recognizing the voice._

_"SOLDIER." Sephiroth greeted Zack, emerging from the darkness. The General sheathed his sword and strode past Zack, calmly surveying the carnage they'd caused. Zack watched uneasily as the silver-haired man knelt beside a body on the ground, and began to rummage through the dead man's clothes. The ornate, feathered shoulder guards were ripped off first, followed by the ridiculous scale-maille coated boots. Sephiroth kept talking the entire time, asking if he knew where Angeal was, and all Zack could do was stammer, "I don't know. I'm not sure. I haven't seen him. Maybe he's babysitting the bomb? He told me to attack the fort. Do you know where he is? Can you take me to him? I have a feeling I'm gonna get killed if I stay out here."_

_Sephiroth pulled off the dead insurgent's mask and tossed it into the thick undergrowth. His eyes widened as familiar blue eyes stared up at them. Zack grabbed his arm and gasped as he cradled the body in his arms and the auburn head rolled to the side. He started to say, "I'm so sorry." but the general raised his hand, and silenced him, not wanting to hear his condolences. "It is a clone," he said with a swift intake of breath. "A Genesis copy. Most likely, one of the 3rds who deserted with Genesis. I don't think it is a Wutaian SOLDIER. It would dishonor them forever to wear the face of their enemy."_

Desertion? Clones? Genesis copies? _Zack gaped incredulously at Sephiroth. He looked like he'd been run over by a bus, and Sephiroth proceeded to steamroll him even further by saying, "If you do not know where Angeal is, then that means that he's gone with them and_ betrayed _us as well."_

 _"No - you're wrong._ _I_ know _Angeal better than you do, and I've known him longer than you have! He would never do something like that!" Zack roared and turned away from Sephiroth. He shrank back as the general beckoned to him, motioning for him to follow him. The muscles in his face twitched as he struggled to put into words what he was feeling, and his fists slammed against the ground. "He is a good man!"_

_Sephiroth gazed frostily at Zack as he pummeled dirt, put off by his presumptuous words. A year-long mentorship hardly qualified in his book as "knowing" Angeal, and he didn't recall ever introducing Zack to Genesis. Or discussing his relationship with the other two 1sts with the boy. A bitter, mocking smile appeared on his face as sand flew his way, striking him, and his eyes thinned, becoming narrowed and veiled slits. Zack looked up at him and froze, realizing his mistake, and the general shrugged, forgiving him for being ignorant and letting his love for Angeal get the better of him. "You have got to learn to reign in your emotions," he sternly said, displaying no emotion as Zack clambered to his feet, "and set aside your feelings for other people. You are letting your 'friendship' with him interfere with you performing your job. You made a promise to protect the interests of the Shinra Electric Company, and that comes first. Do you understand me?"_

_"Yes, sir," Zack mumbled, wounded by the general's harshness._

How, _he fumed as he followed Sephiroth back to camp_ , can you be so cold about this? Don't you care what happens to Genesis and Angeal? I thought the three of you were best friends! Since when was your job more important to you than your "family?" _"Angeal and Genesis are gonna get killed if we leave them out here," he protested, panicking as barrels full of flammable liquid parachuted to the ground, and the sky darkened around them. "We have to turn around! We can't let them spend the night in the woods! They'll get blown up or captured! You're the General! No one can tell you what to do. **Do something!"** he hollered, as... _

_...the war zone exploded in light... a fresh breeze blew across his face...and wood chips crunched beneath his feet._

_Sephiroth faded away, leaving him standing in a world of light, and the Lifestream rose up, eager to propel him forward. It was not long before the burning buildings behind him shimmered, transforming into quaint, country cottages and the gnarled branches shrank, thinning into freshly painted fence posts. Lush, leafy foliage spilled down from the healthy, thick trees towering above him, and birds chirped cheerfully, welcoming him. Domesticated Dual Horns lowed happily in the meadows and Zack breathed in deeply, inhaling the fragrant purple apples that dangled tantalizingly in his face. He unsheathed his sword and walked slowly through the wet, dew-coated grass, taking in the natural beauty of Old Banora. The Banoran whites soared beautifully over his head as he made his way down the path - heading towards the town where Genesis and Angeal had grown up, and where answers surely awaited him. Sephiroth's voice followed him as he crossed a bridge, trotted past a windmill and paused to rest beneath a rusty, abandoned-looking compound._

_"The Director and I have decided to send you to Banora," the general's voice insidiously whispered in his ear. "We would like for you to investigate Genesis' hometown for clues, and if you find Angeal and Genesis, bring them back. Tseng will accompany you; he will be our eyes and ears, and if you run into trouble, he will provide you with backup. He is a very good marksman."_

_"You mean_ assassin. _You want the Turks to come in and kill people if things don't go the way that you've planned." Zack practically shouted, choking for words as Tseng appeared at his side with a loaded handgun in his possession. "Thanks a lot for shoving this mission on me! And thanks a lot for accompanying me. Did you personally request to be assigned to this mission? Are you going to get a raise if you bring down two SOLDIER 1sts?"" he snapped, turning to Tseng, who was eyeing him with cold, psychopathic detachment. His eyes widened with fear and denial as Tseng equipped his silencer, and turned up the volume on his PHS. A voice on the other end radioed over, asking for permission to begin the airstrikes, and Zack could only gape at Tseng and stare, not believing what he was hearing. His body felt as though it was rooted in place with numb horror as the Turk picked up his PHS and calmly ordered the pilot to wipe out the entire village._

_"After you have destroyed the village," Tseng said, "I want you to take out the compound and everything inside it. Genesis and Angeal have been using it to create clones, and if we do not destroy it, we will eventually have an army on our hands. Once the village and the compound have been destroyed, touch base with me for additional instructions. Tseng out; now as for you."_

_You are to come with me, he heard Tseng robotically say to him over clanging sounds from within the compound. We need to get out of here; my private helicopter is on the way; we will be safe onboard it. In fifteen minutes, my men are going to blow this place sky high, and all that's left will be a crater. Grab anything you wish to keep. Round up any beloved pets. Make sure that anyone you care about leaves the premises and do not worry about any financial assets you have here. Shinra will reimburse you for your losses and compensate you for any damage done to your property. Rest assured, we will fully make it up to you. The Shinra Electric Power Company cares about its friends in Banora, and will do its utmost to look after you while the village is being rebuilt, and the investigation is being wrapped up. You have nothing to worry about, Zack._

_Zack showed his great faith in him by pulling away from him and retreating to the path. "I am from_ Gongaga," _he snapped, "not Banora! And I doubt the people who're gonna lose loved ones and homes over this are gonna care much for the company's promises. Something's in life you can't replace, but I guess you wouldn't know about that, would you, Tseng, because Shinra's always given you everything you've ever wanted? Defect from Wutai, lose your family, hi, no worries, welcome to the Shinra family! Need a place to live? No problem. We have a nice luxury apartment for you on the top floor. I could go on, but..."_

_"You have people you need to alert," Tseng simply stated, unfazed by the personal attack upon his character. "The farms have been evacuated, and the only three people still in the area are Genesis, Angeal and Mrs. Hewley. Our readings show that they are at Angeal's house. You have thirty minutes to convince them to get out, which should be more than enough time for you; Angeal will want to protect his mother, and Genesis is no fool. Tell him bombs are on their way and he will leave."_

Are you SERIOUS? _Zack glared at Tseng with hurt, bitter eyes. He had no reason to trust Tseng, and suspected that the man was trying to trick him into leading him to Angeal._ You just got off the phone with your lackey and told him to blow the village off the face of the Planet! Why should I believe you? You don't care about anyone but yourself. You're nothing but a murderer-for-hire _! his heart screamed. Tears streaked his cheeks as a Shinra stealth-fighter appeared, gliding smoothly towards them along the horizon, and the weapon in his hand trembled. Something that sounded like a sob - no a whimper - escaped from his throat, and his entire body seemed to rock with shudders. Tseng activated his PHS to relay instructions to the pilot, and Zack seized his arm, crying, "Wait. Call him off. You said that I have fifteen minutes to go in there, and talk to Genesis and Angeal! Whatever happened to - "_

_"You get thirty," Tseng corrected him, setting his watch. "Your time starts now. Make the most of it."_

_Zack started to run down the path and then turned and paused, eyes locking onto the gun in Tseng's arms. "How do I know you won't follow me and shoot Angeal in the head when I'm talking to him?" he asked, tensing as the Turk rose and stepped out into the clearing. He brought his sword up and pointed it warningly at Tseng. "If I wanted to take out a high-profile target, I'd send in someone they care about to create a diversion, and then blow their brains out. What guarantee can you give me that you won't try any funny business? Don't you have instructions to bring Angeal back dead or alive?"_

_Tseng held up his hand, signaling to the pilot to stand down. He aimed his gun at Zack, but slid his finger away from the trigger to show that he did not desire for this to end in a blood bath. There was little reassurance he could offer beyond doing these two little things. The boy would simply have to bring himself to believe him. "Powerful people in the science department want Genesis and Angeal dead," he told Zack, "but I would gain nothing by destroying them for them! Sephiroth, Genesis and Angeal keep Hojo in check. If they were to die, Hojo would be able to run about, unchecked, and experiment on anyone whom he wanted, and people I care about will pay the price."_

_Realizing that he'd said too much, he added, "People join the Turks, because they want to remain human. Not have their humanity ripped away from them with a mako injection. Take away Genesis and Angeal, and we will be next in line to become SOLDIERs. Bring them back - and things'll stay good."_

_"Bullshit," the young 1st said under his breath, soft enough not to be picked up by Tseng's PHS, but loud enough for the assassin to hear. His gaze shifted from the gun to the sleek pair of leather dress shoes the Turk had on. They were high quality, had sterling silver clips on the toes, and were more expensive than the brand new TV he had just shelled out several thousand gil to buy. "You don't care what Hojo does to other people. The only thing you care about is money."_

_Tseng shrugged; the boy had no idea what mattered to him or what he was truly like. The only person who had a hint of an idea what he cared about was the Cetra-girl in Midgar, and he wasn't about to tell an emotional child with questionable loyalties about her. "Everyone likes to have money. I do, you do," he told Zack, gesturing to the hovering attack-aircraft with his hand. "And so does the pilot up there, who is wondering why I have ordered him to hold off on bombing Banora. He is losing pay hovering there and growing very angry. If you don't get moving..."_

Then he might decide to act on his own or call someone who can override you. _Zack needed no further nudging._

_He turned tail and hauled ass. He hurried down the path, shooting past ancient trees, lush vegetable gardens and chocobo coops. The baby birds scampered about their pens, warbling excitedly as he ran on by, and the Dual Horns looked up at him curiously, unused to seeing someone run into town like they had a devil behind them. Dust spun around him as he thundered down the old trail, kicking up sand, tripping on rocks, and overturning ants' nests. The angry insects scattered to avoid being crushed by his clumsy, oversized feet, and the pigeons picking crumbs from the road dropped their meals and took to the air. Beautiful Banora whites fell to the ground as he smacked into the heavy, overhanging branches, bumping into them with his sword, and the dandelions growing on the side of the road released their seeds in distress at his presence._

_He came to a halt inside the hamlet and stared at the rows of houses in confusion. They were all identical-looking mini-homes, and none of them were marked; Genesis' men had torn down the mailboxes and knocked the metal-numbers off the doors to make it harder for people to trace their movements. He had no idea which one was Angeal's house and going back to Tseng to ask for an address was out of the question. Doing so would be a big fat waste of time and destroy what little credibility he had left with the Turks. He had a feeling that he would want to have Tseng on his side when he returned to Midgar without Genesis and Angeal. Sephiroth and the Director would want a damn good explanation, and the President would be livid._

_Zack plucked a rusted number out of the dirt and sorrowfully turned it over in his hand. "Why did you leave like that, Angeal?" he mournfully said. Angeal's bizarre, out-of-character behavior was the most disturbing part about this entire business._ If you'd asked them to give you leave, they would have said "yes," and I wouldn't be out here now.

_A shadow fell across him as his fingers curled around the iron-number. It was long and tall and very familiar. Zack's heart lightened; now he wouldn't have to search every house in the hamlet._

_He sheathed his sword to show that he had come with good intentions; that turned out to be a mistake. Glowing, red-hot steel was pointed at his chest as he turned around. Mistrustful, sickly blue-gray eyes locked onto him as he straightened up. Fire sparked from Rapier, whipping at his face, and strong white hands closed around his wrist, trapping it in a vise. Genesis thrust his face into his as he tugged against him. "What are you doing here?" the Commander softly asked, dragging him into a scorched, dead-looking yard; it was a grisly, morbid little place, and would have been the last spot he'd have checked, if Genesis hadn't jumped him. "What do you want? Have you been sent to bring me back?"_

_Zack wrenched his wrist free. He stood up somberly with his hand clutching his chest. "I'm here to help you," he told Genesis, eyes moving worriedly up and down the poetry-loving SOLDIER's body. He took a step back as his eyes took in flaking, dried out skin and bulging, hemorrhaged veins. Was this, he wondered, aghast, the start of degradation? "Tseng wants to bomb Banora, and has a guy lined up waiting to blow your house sky high. The three of you need to get your butts outta here."_

_Genesis's face changed color. "How much firepower did they bring with them?" he exclaimed, reddening visibly. He pushed past Zack and stared at the trim stealth- fighter, hovering above the trees. His gaze wandered from the fighter, to the fields, where non-combat personnel were being airlifted. He heard the sound of armed vehicles, crunching across the old-gravel road behind Angeal's house, and the holler of infantrymen. "It appears they've brought enough weapons to level an entire sector," he observed, putting away his sword; it would be no use against missiles and firebombs. "They must really deem us a threat! I'm flattered. I suppose Tseng sent you here to tell us to surrender?"_

_"No," Zack replied, struggling to get the words out. It was hard to stay calm with the roar of engines, growing louder, and Genesis's angry eyes scrutinizing him; they were wrinkled and misaligned, and made the temperamental redhead look like he needed Botox treatments. "I'm acting on my own. I came here to warn you about the bombs, and to find out why you and Angeal left." He paced about, trying to quell the panic rising inside him; if Genesis looked like shit, it stood to reason Angeal would as well, if he got to see him. "I'm guessing that the stuff that's going on with your skin and your eyes is a part of it, eh? I can't blame you for wanting to walk away from the people who fucked y'all up. You must feel really mad?"_

You think? What would you know? You're just a Shinra lapdog _. Genesis smiled malignantly at the irritating, Gongagan hick breathing down his neck. The boy, he decided, would make a great political candidate if he quit Shinra and ran for mayor. The annoying, folksy sounding things he said would appeal to many people, and dumb politicians, who tried to be relatable, always led the polls for some reason. "We are monsters," he said, speaking with the sweet, super-saturated tone he reserved for politicians, Hojo and mini-minds. "All we feel is anger and hatred. You would too if you were in my place. I'm sure you know all about the things that were done to me. You obviously have been talking to someone. Hollander?"_

_"Umm yeah, him. We had a nice long chat," Zack lied, regretting that he had asked Genesis about his eyes and skin. Now, Genesis would pressure him to explain everything knew, and he had no desire to tell the bitter Commander that he had learned about degradation from Cloud and his hot-looking Cetra friend. Genesis was far too unstable at the moment to be able to handle the truth, and they did not have the time to get into mind-boggling, what-the-fuck revelations with missiles on the way. "I was horrified by what I heard. What they did to you is disgusting. Please," he implored Genesis, "let me help you and Angeal! If we work together, we can get this all sorted out! I can convince Shinra that you're not a threat, and if that doesn't work, tell them that you're dead. They'd believe me."_

_Genesis looked at him like he had gone insane. The things that he was saying did not ring true to the 1st._ "Let me help you, I can make a difference?" "C'mon, bud, we've gotta team up?" Oh please! _The incredulous redhead glared at Zack. Only best friends and lovers said stuff like that to each other, and it was beyond infuriating to hear such serious proclamations come from the mouth of an immature emo-kid who had seen him once, twice, maybe three times in the hall. "My friend, would you fly away, to a world that abhors Angeal and I?" the Commander inquired, even though he was all but certain that Zack was bluffing; very people had the courage to follow through with their promises, and make sacrifices for their "friends." "'All that awaits you is a somber morrow, no matter where the winds may blow.'"_

_Zack recoiled at his insane sounding words. "I don't understand what you're getting at! Quit talking in riddles."_

_Genesis laughed derisively at him. "It means Shinra will blow your brains out if you try to help us, and go after your family," the Commander told him. "I suppose you didn't think of that when you asked if you could help me."_

No. I didn't! I just thought they'd come after me! _Zack froze, his heart rebelling at the thought of his parents being dragged in for torture and interrogation. He opened his mouth to say that he didn't believe that Shinra would go after his mom and dad, but knew in his heart that they wouldn't hesitate if it came down to that. The company always did whatever was needed, to protect the President's interests, and Tseng was coldblooded and ruthless._

" _Where is Angeal?" he asked at length, after the discussion they had had, it was the only thing he could think of saying. "I want to see him!"_

_Genesis gestured to the open kitchen door behind them. Zack noticed that his hand motions were weak and shaky, and that his body was trembling all over. His beautiful, arrogant features were twisted in anguish, and his head was bent. He held out his hand towards the door, reaching towards someone unseen, and he looked, in that moment, like he was about to be overwhelmed by whatever it was he was feeling. Zack could tell by his heavy breathing and the sadness in his voice, that he was forcing himself to face something that was very painful to him; perhaps it was a bitter memory from his childhood. Or maybe it was a future without Angeal._

_"He's in the kitchen trying to decide what side he wants to live on," the Commander softly said, struggling to force himself into a state of calm. "I've told him that he can't live on **that** side anymore, but he won't listen to me. He refuses to give the other side up, because he has **family** there. As long as you and Sephiroth are on that side, that's where he'll be. The two of you are holding him back."_

_Zack had heard enough. He shoved Genesis out of the way and stomped towards the door. "Hey, buddy," he snapped, "have you ever considered that your attitude might be the reason he doesn't want to join your side? It's great that you want to be with your friend and all, but you're coming across as very jealous, and me-me-me! If all you're going to do is give Angeal grief about his family - "_

_"Grief, eh? I think you are more likely to cause him grief than I am," Genesis replied, showing no anger at his words; the self-centered are unable to care. "I would not recommend going in there. Things are a fucking mess inside; Angeal's going through hell." The fiery 1st waved him away as he stopped dead in his tracks and yanked his hand off the door. "You should report back to your Shinra co-horts and leave him be. Don't worry about warning him about the bombers. I'll pass word along and take care of things."_

_Zack inhaled deeply, and put his hand back on the door. He had no idea what he was going to find on the other side, but it couldn't, he told himself, be as terrible as Genesis was making it out to be. Angeal, he reminded himself, was the most determined person he knew. First Sergeant Hewley possessed sound judgment and unconquerable moral character, and would not let a poisonous friend manipulate him into abandoning his principles. He was brave and confident, and would remain strong when he learned the extent of the damage that had been done to him; like any other storm that they had faced, they would weather this one together. And as for Angeal pushing him away, Zack couldn't see that happening, nope, no sir-ee; Angeal had always been open with him about everything, and had never hesitated to come to him in the past. All that stuff Genesis was saying about Angeal reeked of mindfuckery!_

_"When I come out," Zack said, "I'd like to know what I did to make you hate me so much. I've never done anything to you, and we barely interact. What is it about me?"_

_Genesis' answer, was as always, vague and open to interpretation. "I can only hate. I feel no joy, for you are beloved by the goddess, hero of the dawn, healer of worlds!" the degrading man said, slipping into the shrubs to retrieve something. "There's your answer. I'm done."_

_He stalked off to fill the black duffel bag he'd pulled out of the bushes with clothes from the clothesline, leaving Zack standing open-mouthed in the doorway._

_Zack watched with incredulous eyes as Genesis ripped down shirts, angrily reciting lines from "LOVELESS"; Angeal had taught him to deal with all sorts of crazy situations, but vindictive, unhinged SOLDIER 1sts was not one of them. Nor was emotionally manipulative, self-destructive comrades in arms_. I - I've seen enough of this shit, _he shook, his iron-resolve weakening; for the first time, in his life, he could think of nothing to be happy about. No good could come out of the situation that they were in, and he couldn't think of anything that he could do to make it better. Genesis would require professional help - in addition to the medical treatment he would need for his degradation- to get well, and Angeal would take it hard when he saw his insane-friend in action at the clothesline._

_Zack suddenly felt useless, emotionally drained and totally alone. "I'm, uh, gonna go inside," he said, lifting his hands helplessly. "You just keep packing up your stuff. The three of you are gonna needs lots of clothes for your journey. I'll be back ASAP. Stay out here. Don't go anywhere."_

Planet help everyone if Genesis went anywhere.

_He darted into the house, eager to put some distance between himself and the madman, who was intimidating him._

_To his horror, an even grimmer sight greeted his eyes inside the kitchen._

_Mrs. Hewley was lying face-down on the carpet. Her clothes and body smelled of vomit and stomach-juice, and there was blood coming from her nose and mouth. Her eyes were rolled back in her head, her cheeks and throat were swollen to twice their size, and her limbs were twisted in unnatural directions. Soiled food was scattered sloppily about her, and there were pieces of broken glass lying under her arms. The chairs around the table were overturned - Zack wondered, had there been a struggle? - and there were mushy, half-chewed pellets sticking to Gillian's lips. Ripped open packets of LiquaTox Rat Killer were bundled up inside her pretty green shawl and there were prescription meds on a plate. She had mixed rat poison and pills into the meal she'd had for dinner, and taken her own life._

_Zack lowered his eyes and shielded his face. He swallowed greedily, sucking in the fresh air pouring through the open window. He gulped a few times, trying to clear his throat and get rid of the bitter taste in his mouth. His handsome features contorted as Angeal entered his peripheral vision; the breath caught in his throat when he saw what Angeal was carrying. "What's going on, Angeal? Why are you holding that?" he gasped, pointing to the box of rodent-poison in his mentor's arms. "Did you help her kill herself? Whatever happened to having courage, and never giving up? The Angeal I know never would've let someone kill themselves."_

_Angeal breathed raggedly and put the box down. He shuffled over to his mother and plucked at her scarf, picking at it nervously. His shoulders were bent and hunched, like a wizened crone's, and his eyes were full of tears that he didn't know how to shed. He unwound the scarf from her neck and knelt beside her, debating whether he should take it with him, or drape it across her and cover her. His face hardened as his fingers brushed against the cooking utensils on the floor, and pieces of plate crunched beneath his booted feet. All he could think of, as Zack approached him, was his role in her death. Had he not revealed to her that he and Genesis were dying, he told himself, none of this would have happened. And had he been paying attention, instead of nodding off daydreaming at the stove, he would have seen her slip rat poison into her food, and been able to stop her._

_"My mother lost her will to live," he inaudibly said, "and I'm finding it hard these days to justify my existence. I seem to do nothing but hurt people. I'm beginning to think Genesis is right. Maybe I do belong on the other side."_

_Zack stopped, floored. For a moment, he was rendered speechless. He could not believe what Angeal had just said. The words coming from his mentor's mouth sounded hopeless and confused. They were dreadful, desperate and manic, and tinged with an overwhelming sadness that he recognized all too well. He had seen such despair before - in Sephiroth - in Tseng - and in Cloud. "Do you have any idea what you are saying?" he blurted out, seizing Angeal by the shoulder straps. He slammed him against the wall, and then pummeled him into the door; this was done not by choice, but by necessity, it was the only way he could force Angeal to look at him. "You just said that you don't_ deserve to live. _How can you think that? You once told me that the best thing in this world is 'life.'"_

_"Yes, I suppose I did." Angeal backed away from Zack, shifting towards the door. He rubbed his jaw absently and stared ahead, fighting to maintain control. He looked away, longing to tell Zack everything, but knowing in his heart, that no good would come of it if he did. The boy would not be able to handle the truth, so soon after witnessing Gillian's suicide, and now was not the time, nor the place for revelations. Explanations would have to wait until they were beyond the reach of Tseng and his Turks, and Genesis was out on one of his meetings with Hollander. "Life is wonderful. I can't recall, though, when I told you that. I find myself forgetting a lot of things these days. So much has happened, it's hard to keep things straight. I feel so confused."_

_Zack knew what **that** felt like. "Yeah, me too. I've talked to Tseng, Genesis and several other people, and I still have no clue what's going on!" he said, with iron-hot fury and dissatisfaction in his voice. He put his hands on his head, clutching his now aching skull. "No one will tell me why you deserted or why you're suddenly public enemy number one, and it's driving me nuts. I'd like to know what I'm dealing with, so I can decide what I want to do, and whose side I should be on. I want to say yours and Genesis's, but - " - here, he sighed softly and gestured to the sorry sight outside in the yard - " - there are things going on that make me think, 'Woah, woah, maybe you should be someplace else.' If he goes off his rocker and does something crazy, you'll need someone like me to stop him, right?"_

_Angeal nodded sadly; if Genesis fell, Midgar would need a protector._ It might as well be Zack. _He knew himself well enough to know that he wouldn't be able to cut his childhood friend down if the worst happened. And he did not think that Sephiroth possessed the strength to do such a grisly deed either. The general placed a higher value on Genesis than he did on his much-coveted job, and word from Hollander's spies was that Sephiroth had turned down a mission that would have required him to kill them and sent someone else in his stead. And supposedly, that person, had been the irritating, hyper-active #10 choice for the job, whoever that was._

_Amusing. Nice. A cute way of saying "fuck you" to the science department, but still..._

An act of treason! _Angeal frowned. Sephiroth was Shinra's most-valued employee, but like himself and Genesis, he was also considered disposable. When his usefulness ran out, he would be gotten rid of. And if he kept defying orders and protecting traitors, he would be arrested and executed, and Hojo would be paid millions to find the next Sephiroth. He hoped Sephiroth realized this, and wasn't thinking that he was irreplaceable and untouchable within the company._

_"Zack, I'm counting on you to stop Genesis. And," he said, forcing himself to consider a dreadful possibility, "to stop me if I lose the fight and become someone who creates suffering. If we fall will you protect the Planet?"_

_"If I fall, will you kill me?" was lost on Zack, for the boy exclaimed, "Yes, I'll protect you and everyone else from Genesis."_

_Angeal sighed and brought his arms up to shield his eyes, lacking the courage to repeat his request when Zack looked so haunted and deeply traumatized. He pressed his forehead and eyes into the crook of his elbow and fell forward, slamming against the door. He stood there with his face smushed against the wood as Zack barraged him with questions about desertion, their plans for the future, and to his surprise, degradation. Why did you leave Shinra, Zack was demanding to know. Did you do it because they did bad things to Genesis? Are you sick as well? Who is treating you? What happened inside the house with your mother? Where do you plan on going? Are you aware that Tseng's under orders to bomb the hell out of Banora, and is there anything I can to help you get out of this mess? "If I understood things," Zack was saying, "I could help you set things straight. I could go back to Midgar and explain things to Sephiroth or someone else who carries a lot of weight. I dunno. Director Lazard maybe. I could get them to pull the Turks off your back and leave you alone. You wouldn't have to worry then about getting shot in the back or having your house fall on you."_

_Angeal twitched, overwhelmed by his questions, and Genesis chose this moment to butt in. Zack saw red._

_Genesis stormed up to the door, brandishing his sword and a now fully-packed duffel-bag; it was massive and heavy, and would hurt like hell if it caught anyone in the jaw._

_"If we want you, we'll contact you and call you in for interview," Genesis snapped, swinging his luggage menacingly at the impertinent little Puppy who was trying to take his best friend away from him. "Until then - shut your mouth, tuck your tail between your legs, and crawl back to your Turk cohorts. We have no time for you or questions."_

_He seized Angeal by the wrist and pointed to the stealth-plane circling their village._

_"'When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end, the goddess descends from the sky,'" he urgently hissed. "'Wings of light and dark spread afar, she guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting.'"_

_When that failed to spur Angeal to action, Genesis shook him roughly._

_"Make up your mind which damn side you're on!" the Commander cried, heart racing as his outstretched hand swept across the fiery horizon. Soon, everything, not just the sky, would be bathed in colors of red and gold. "Stay and **die.** Give yourself up and **lose it all**. Come with me and - I - promise you, things will be different." His frantic voice became soft and gentle as Angeal turned to him, torn between following him to freedom, and staying behind to throw himself at the mercy of Zack and his little Shinra groupies. "I won't make any drastic decisions, without consulting you first, and we'll fight with honor, and without anger!" he lied. "We won't repeat the make the mistakes we made here. I promise you there will be no more unnecessary deaths. You and I - "_

_"Shut your goddamn mouth and pull your head out of your ass!" Zack snarled. He darted between the two of them, shaking violently. He shoved Genesis away, pushing the older man into the house, and stood beside Angeal protectively. His heart was racing a mile a minute and pounding out an agitated cacophony as he warned Genesis to back the fuck off. He had seen Genesis in action around Shinra Headquarters, and knew that if the man got passed him and made eye-contact with Angeal, he would win and get his way. Genesis was a genius at manipulating people into doing things that they didn't want to do, and Angeal had just gone through a terrible ordeal, and was emotionally vulnerable. "You're not helping. Angeal - "_

_" - Angeal, don't worry. Your Puppy will be safe if you leave him behind. Shinra will not harm him. They like having annoying little 'yes-men' at their beck and call! And we'll be doing a lot of traveling, so you two are bound to see each other again, soon enough!" Genesis quickly said, watching with cold-satisfaction as Zack crumpled to the ground with well-deserved duffel-bag burn marks across his face. He spun around dramatically with his duffel bag hooked around his shoulders and his arms out as Zack writhed about in the dirt - clutching a tomato-red jaw. "What will it be, Angeal?" he asked. "Are you going to stay, or will you take flight with me? Will you flee with me, from a world that abhors you and I?"_

_He raised his hand to his face, and Angeal came alive at that moment - breaking free and knocking his arm away._

_"You promised you wouldn't be rude to Zack. That's one promise you've already broken. If you break anymore..." the honorable man mumbled, fastening the Buster Sword to his weapons' harness._

_He snatched up a pair of keys sitting on the lawn chair and squeezed them tightly, as he looked long and hard at Zack with sorrow in his face and an unspoken apology in his eyes. His cheeks were moist, his forehead clammy, and his eyelids heavy and barely able to rise, as Zack shouted his name. His lips moved feverishly, mouthing something that looked like, "I'm sorry, Pup! I wish I could!" as the boy reached for him, beseeching him to stay. With shadows falling across him, it was hard to tell what he exactly he was trying to say to the stunned, heartbroken child. Genesis smiled triumphantly as he bowed his head - broke his gaze - turned - and then dashed into the barn where they had stashed a car that only someone who believed in dreams, pride and honor could love. A moment later, the most fucked up four-wheel drive in existence rolled out of the garage._

_Genesis laughed as Angeal took off-down the road, driving like a speed demon. It was not the dramatic exit that his mad-mind had imagined, but it would do for the time being; Angeal would eventually learn to accept his secondary nature, the way he had his, and then they would have all sorts of amusement with the science department. "My friend," he eloquently said, "'pride is lost, wings stripped away. The end is nigh. All that awaits you is a somber morrow, no matter where the winds may blow.' LOVELESS, act...?"_

_Zack limped over to him, glaring daggers. "Why the hell are you **acting** this way, Genesis?" the boy was shouting. "I thought you were a hero."_

_Genesis sighed. So much for trying to hold a discussion about literature with Angeal's little Puppy... "I'm disappointed. They sent you instead of my oldest and dearest friend," he said, smiling with arrogant superiority. He raised one hand in a languid gesture. "I had hoped that we would get the chance to resume our old rivalry. I don't see Sephiroth around, but that doesn't mean we can't have fun. Are you game?"_

_Too late, Zack saw the shimmering crimson orb that he held between his gloved fingers. The summons materia began to glow, a vivid ruby light emanating from its swirling depths, nearly blinding in its scarlet-hued brilliance. Powerful magic spilled over him, painting him shades of luminous red, the air around him becoming heavy and dense with the Summons' raw power. Zack threw up one hand to shield his mako-sensitive eyes, while the other snaked to the hilt of the sword strapped to his back. He drew the Jr. Buster from its magnetic sheath and brought it up before him, dropping into a defensive stance as he gripped the hilt with both hands. He squinted into the blood-red radiance, his enhanced eyes just barely able to make out a shape in that haze of heat and magic._

_The vague outline became clearer with each passing second, and what Zack saw frightened him and made him fear for his life._

_Genesis' slim, red-coated figure vanished, and was replaced by something that was bigger, and much more dangerous than the deranged First could ever think of being. Bahamut, the king of the dragons, rose up before him in all its reptilian glory, its amethyst scales reflecting its own light in a gorgeous, terrifying kaleidoscope of color that exploded into full, powerful life._

_As the light faded and his sight began to return, Zack could see that his surroundings had been changed, altered to fit the Summons' own inner desires. He found himself on a wide, rocky platform, surrounded by large stalagmites of hard ebony crystal that rose up high into the sulphur-filled air. The sky around him had darkened, relieved only by jagged streaks of white-hot lightning, which revealed a bizarre sight that he never would have expected._

_A large black bull snorted at him from atop Bahamut's back. It was the most hideous thing he had ever seen, with four thousand eyes blinking from its head and four thousand legs emerging from its chest. On top of the bull, rose a mountain of ruby, and clinging to its peak, was an angel who carried six hells, earth and seven heavens on his shoulders._

_Zack shuddered as the slender, sylph-like being dangling from the mountain on Bahamut's back fixed its eyes upon him. The Angel of Death was a splash of pale skin and flowing silver hair, set against the night that the Summon had conjured. Clad in flowing white robes and heavy amethyst armor—the strange being raised delicate, violet tipped hands and threw his head back to the sky. Harsh, cutting laughter sounded, echoed by Bahamut's roar of animalistic rage, mingling with the booms of thunder and crackling of electricity._

_Zack swallowed hard and gripped his sword tighter as the Summon bore down upon him. Hoping that he was not in too far over his head, he lifted the Jr. Buster, gave a yell of defiance, and ran forward. He plunged his sword into the diamond-hard skin before the Summon could get an attack off, ruthlessly gutting it with Chain Slash. The beast let out an ear-piercing howl and attempted to rake him with its claws, and the Angel of Death hurled flare orbs at him. Somehow, he managed to deflect them, and continue his assault._

_He thrust his blade upwards, driving his weapon through Bahamut's ribcage. Sleet and red-hot coals rained down on him as he swiveled his sword from side to side, chopping through muscle and ripping into vital organs. His eyes teared as he hacked into bone, carved up ribs, and sliced through veins. Sparks flew around him, swirling about his arms and ankles, as he pummeled the Summon with fireballs, and shot Tri-Thundaga into the hole in the now berserk dragon's gut. Heat from the bull seared his skin and the kinetic energy around him built to unbearable levels with each additional blast and blow._

_Zack dodged to the side as Bahamut came after him again. He leapt back as it slashed at him with its claws, then strafed to the right as it attempted to crush him with its forepaws. He flung himself into the air as its spiked tail hurtled towards his face, flyspringing to safety. The many-eyed bull bellowed loudly as he bounced to his feet. Rivers of red-gold hellfire shot from the hideous ox's mouth as he ran up to the massive, scaly-gold stomach. Divine black blood flew everywhere as he ripped his sword out of the monster's chest. Angel and bull fired off attacks as he dropped to his knees and dove under the thick, twenty-foot long neck that was swiveling towards him. Neck and head shot harmlessly over him, and both attacks ricocheted off the beast's bloodied snout, doing no damage to him. He heard its teeth snap angrily at thin air, up above him, and saw the Summon's huge swallowing muscles bulge in rage; the great dragon had not expected him to be a challenge. And neither, from the sound of things, had Genesis._

_The demented 1st was going crazy. He was shouting at the Summon from beyond the barrier of rocks and stalagmites, demanding it return to him. And the monster was not listening. At the rate things were going, he was going to lose his dragon._

_Zack could care less if the Commander ended up losing his precious beast. As long as the Summon kept attacking him, he was going to make it his business to end its life. "Sucks to be you," he muttered under his breath, spinning his sword defiantly. "You should've thought about that shit before you decided to sic it on me, pal."_

_He flung himself at Bahamut, aiming for the giant spikes behind the Summon's ears. The monster shrieked and thrashed itself about as he grabbed onto it and went in for the kill. It twisted about and clawed at its face as he clambered up its neck, blasting it with powerful materia as he scrambled along. Orange spheres of energy exploded around him as he stabbed and kicked his way across its forehead, and blue-white flames from the dragon's mouth licked at his wrists and ankles. At one point, he found himself forced to put his hand in the flames in order to avoid being dislodged; that, you can imagine, hurt like a bitch._

_Zack ignored the pain in his now raw, tender hand and swung his sword. He drove his blade into the monster's brow and stabbed so hard that his weapon went through the bone and penetrated the creature's eye. He grunted in disgust as pupil, cornea and optic nerve toppled out of Bahamut's face. Blood and brain matter spurted out at him as he fought with his sword, struggling to pull it free. His movements brought him within range of the bull, and it thrust its head at him, intent on goring him. The tips of its horns ripped into his back, spearing him, and the Angel of Death followed up with Mega Flare. The massive dragon muzzle swiveled around as the Angel of Death sent a stream of blue-white light barreling his way, and the bull reared up to stamp the life out of him._

_Zack swore - and jumped._

_He landed on the sharp rocks below and rolled away from the Summon. Bahamut screeched as he disappeared behind a cluster of stalagmites, and then screeched again as bull, teeth and Mega Flare collided with each other. Teeth and hooves shattered as the bull disappeared down the dragon's throat, and the flares rebounded, and went ricocheting back at the Angel, who was unprepared to deal with them. The Angel of Death let out a cry as it was incinerated in a cyclone of flame, and the dragon flailed about, stomping on the ground, thrashing its tail about in agony, and flinging its neck around._

_Zack lifted his head as the mortally wounded Summon went into its death throes and the Angel collapsed, falling face forward onto Bahamut's shoulders. The mountain of ruby the Angel was standing on was thrown down, and the stalagmites shattered and rolled over the sides. Purple-white light burst from the dragon as thunder shook the world, dirt-tornadoes whipped about them, and shockwaves rippled through the platform. Wind howled in his ears as fissures appeared in the rocky-earth, and the dragon beat at the ground with its enormous wings. The overcast sky brightened as the Summon weakened, and a halo of light formed above them and shone down, trickling through the murky-grey clouds. Apple-trees, farmhouses and cottages shimmered through the dust and gravel, and a gentle breeze blew across Zack's seared face; the Summon's plane had been destroyed and they were now on their way back to Banora._

_Zack let out a sigh of relief as the dragon dissipated and the materia-orb that had been a vessel for it dropped to the ground. He swooped down and picked the now-cracked sphere up, stunned that he had defeated a Summon, of all things. He turned it over in his uninjured hand, wincing as the rapidly-cooling heat burned his skin and hissed against him. Genesis stormed into the periphery of his vision as he cradled it, looking angrier than he had ever seen him. "That creature took me four months to capture," the rogue 1st seethed, swatting what remained of the Summon away from him. "Do you know how much work it took me? Do you have any idea how rare and valuable a Bahamut Summon is?"_

_Zack nearly punched him on the spot for saying that. "I don't give a hoot how much trouble you went to to get that Summon. I'm glad that I took it off your hands. You don't deserve to be a Summons owner. Summons are to be used for emergencies, not to settle personal grudges," the young swordsman shouted, stopping short of accusing Genesis of attempting to kill him. He flung his arms up and paced about the Hewleys' yard aimlessly, feeling more helpless than he could remember feeling in a long time; the situation he was in was so insane, so surreal. It was like something out of a nightmare. How, he mused, was he supposed to wrap his head around it? And how, he asked himself, could he bring himself to believe that this kind of stuff had happened to him in his "past life?"_

_"Why are things like this?" he whispered, voicing his hopelessness to the world as Genesis moved back into his blurred vision._

_"Because we are monsters. We have no honor," the Commander said, opening his eyes slowly, like a mental patient coming out of hypnosis. He pulled hard at the duffel bag about his neck, tugging at it as though it were choking him. His face was inanimate and blank, and he looked like he barely had the strength to stand up. He shrank back like a moth, pulling away from the fire, as Zack angrily shoved the burned-out Summon orb at him, and for a moment, he seemed wounded, confused and very human. A soft light emanated from his sickly dull eyes as he scanned the horizon, dreading what he would find beyond the trees, and that light was the only part of him that still glowed; everything else about him that had once been beautiful and admirable had long since faded. "You human beings have cast us out. Why should we live by your rules or care about what happens to you?"_

_Zack extended a hand to Genesis, even though the man had just tried to kill him. Genesis held him with the terrible desperation and despair in his voice, and he could feel the Commander's pain. Losing his opportunity to mentor Cloud had forced him to grow up, making him more empathetic and more perceptive. Now he felt sorrow and pity; had he not gone through such an ordeal, his reaction would have been indifference or disdain. "You're not a monster," he furiously said. "You're a human being, just like I am. You're not different! How can you think you're some kind of freak!"_

_Genesis brought his gloved hand up to his nose. He concentrated, gathering his energy, and then flicked his hand and arm abruptly to the side. A large, misshapen black wing burst through his coat and unfurled, blotting out the sun._

_Zack gasped as thick, full and very shiny-looking feathers extended towards him, and then covered his mouth with his hand, when Genesis raised his wing, causing the long plumes to arch above them. He backed away - sick, sad and revolted that things had taken such a gruesome turn. He made a fist and looked away, his mind unable to make sense of the strange limb flapping in front of him. Was this, he wondered, what Ifalna had been referring to when she had written about Jenova mutating her kind? Or a twisted product of his imagination? Was he taking what he had read about wings and tentacle grafts in Hojo's diary, and projecting it onto the person he was trying, with every fiber in his body, to get along with?_

_Projection, he decided,_ had _to be it. It was the only way to explain something as unnatural as a wing on a human being._

_"I take back what I said about you not being different," the bewildered swordsman stammered, failing to conceal just how shaken and horrified he felt. His fingers closed around one of the stray plumes, and he looked at it in a daze, surprised that it wasn't razor-sharp, like the Black Flurry feathers Genesis used to shred his enemies. "You're got some unusual things going on, but...that doesn't make you a monster! You -"_

_"I'm what?" Genesis spat. "A human being? A hero?"_

_"Yeah, I don't see why not? If you quit with the Summoning shit, and accepted yourself, for who you are," Zack mumbled, his mind still reeling. He hardened his eyes and tried to make his face a blank slate; if he was going to convince Genesis he wasn't a monster, he needed to attempt to show acceptance himself. He sheathed his sword and slid his hand away from the leather-bangle about his wrist; it contained powerful offensive materia, and he prayed to the Planet he wasn't making a mistake putting it where he wouldn't be able to instantly reach it. He moved towards Genesis, inching nearer at a snail's pace. Genesis scowled at him as he stood beside him, against his will, and looked him over with horribly-feigned calmness and detachment. "You could do a lot of good with your new powers," he idiotically continued. "You could fly around Midgar and protect people like Sephiroth. If you helped folks out, they wouldn't even think twice about who you are, and treat you just like him."_

_"Really? Last time I checked," Genesis sneered, "monsters weren't allowed to be heroes. And even if they could be heroes...why would I want to share my glory with someone who's treated me like a second-class Soldier, and never given anything back in return?" He turned away convulsively, and thrust his wing out in his agitation, extending it to its full length. His lips moved stiffly, as though he were struggling to form words, and his hands jerked about like a badly puppeted marionette's. "All Sephiroth has ever done is **take, take, take** from me; well, no longer. Not anymore. 'The arrow has left the bow of the goddess.'"_

_Zack tensed as Genesis lowered his wing and brought it in. Huge, twenty-inch long primary feathers bore down on him, and the thick muscles in Genesis' wing twitched; Zack had a feeling that he was going to be in for a world of hurt if Genesis freaked out on him and decided to slap him around. Bird wings were supposed to pack quite a punch and Genesis' was over 5 feet long. "Why do you feel like you've been treated poorly?" he cautiously asked, flinching as the feathers scraped against the back of his neck like the blade of a guillotine. "What hasn't He given you? He assigns you to the best missions, gives you command, and lets you have control over the entire fucking army when he's not around. Do you know how many people wish they had it as good as you? Me, for starters!"_

_Genesis' face darkened. The redhead stiffened, misguidedly concluding that the boy wanted his job, and his place at Sephiroth's side. He spread his arms out dramatically and laughed softly, his voice ringing like a little silver bell. Zack's eyes shifted to his arms as he theatrically moved his hands back and forth, and rattled off lines from_ LOVELESS. _"'My friend,'" he patronizingly sighed, "'the fates are cruel. There are no dreams! No honor remains! My soul, corrupted by vengeance, hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey in my salvation, and your eternal slumber.'" His voice softened as he positioned his wing directly above the distracted boy's skull. "Rot in hell, Pup," he said with a nasty smile, as he slammed the enormous appendage into Zack._

_Zack fell to the ground with a loud crash, and Genesis launched himself into the air. From the safety of the sky, he blasted the insolent child, hitting him with spheres of Dark Energy. Dark Energy was followed by Blizzaga, and Blizzaga by Black Feather, the less lethal of his two area effect attacks. Tiny, barbed black projectiles shot out of his hands and buried themselves in Zack's skin. The boy let out a loud groan, and Genesis turned and high-tailed it - not bothering to savor his victory. He had a feeling that they would meet again, and he would get to watch Zack pluck the feathers out of his face another day._

_Zack stared up at the sky mournfully as he vanished over the horizon, leaving behind a trail of feathers._

_The porcupined boy crawled away from the house, as the feathers rained down, and activated the Cure materia in his Jr. Buster sword._

_As warm, healing energy surged through his bloodstream, Zack called out to Cloud. He had had his share of horrors for the day, and wanted to be bailed out, and sent home - NOW. "Spike," he shouted, "you've convinced me that degradation's a really bad thing! Can you come get me now, so we can talk about it in the Church? Cloud..." His lower lip trembled when there was no response. "Where are you?"_

**_εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000_ **

"I'm here, Zack," Cloud said, watching with big worried eyes as his best friend cried out for him and choked back sobs on the Church floor. The Ancient had warned him that the Memory Ritual would be "hard" on Zack, but the ordeal that the 1st was experiencing looked nothing sort of _excruciating_. Zack was acting like he was being torn apart from the inside, piece by piece, and the sight was beginning to make Cloud feel nauseous. "I wish there'd been some other way. He's been through so much, and had a rough enough time of it as it is. I don't suppose we could pull him out of the pond and tell him the rest?" he asked, even though he knew that the flower-girl would be unable to grant his request. Zack would remain in a trance until he'd pieced together his fragmented memories and become, as Aeris put it, "one with the Planet." "What is he seeing right now? You have a connection to the Lifestream. Do you hear anything? Can you tell what they are saying to him?"

Aeris closed her eyes and concentrated, silently calling out to the Planet. Zack stilled and calmed down, and Aeris felt peace radiate off him and the souls in the Lifestream. An image of tall white cliffs flashed before her, and she knew that Zack was trying to find a haven in his mind to protect himself from the horrors of Banora. "He is currently reliving the happier moments of his life," she soothingly said, gently running her fingers down the tall boy's back. "You and he have just met on the mission to Modeoheim, and you are walking across a mountain talking to each other. It is covered with snow and is so _beautiful_. You are telling him that you are from Nibelheim, and he is laughing at the name. He thinks it's funny that you come from such a backwater town. And now you are giving him a hard time about coming from Gongaga and throwing snowballs at him. You are so mean."

Cloud laughed dryly at her words. Zack had been the one who had initiated the teasing, and it had been the Puppy's idea to start the snowball fight and dump snow on everyone's heads. Tseng and the Turks had thought he had instigated it and reported him to Sephiroth, but they had been grossly misinformed. And Zack, of course, had gotten away scott free, without even a warning or a slap on the hand. "I should have left him frozen to the seat of Angeal's car," he muttered, eliciting a questioning stare from Aeris. "Don't ask - you don't want to know. Let's just say he was being his naughty old self and trying to make Angeal believe bad things about me."

Aeris sighed and put her head on Zack's shoulder. "He deserved it then," was her reply. "Poor Puppy. Always causing trouble. He used to tease me all the time."

"What kinda stuff did he do to you?" Cloud whispered, adverting his gaze as Zack began to shiver and struggle again. "Torment the flowers and sneak up on you?"

The pretty girl nodded and pulled Zack into her arms. Teasing her about her flowers had been one of his favorite things to do, and he had also taken great delight in trying to get her to do stupid stuff. Zack had been a perverted little monster and had been obsessed with frilly outfits, engagement ring shopping, and traveling to Gongaga to meet his parents. She had reluctantly agreed to meet Mr. and Mrs. Fair - but had drawn the line at getting married or running around the Slums in pink garter belts, knee high boots and fishnet stockings. "We're too young to get married," she had told him, and had insisted that she looked awful in pink the day he had picked up a naughty school-girl costume for her to wear.

"Zack wanted to do all sorts of wild and crazy things," she said softly, shaking away the memories. "They got old really fast, and Mommy Elmy told me to dump him. But I said, no, and continued to go out with him, because I knew that I'd never find another friend like him. He is a keeper. I think he's great."

"Try telling that to Genesis. He calls him Menace to Society," Cloud muttered under his breath. "And Zack calls him the LOVELESS Asshat. He's never called him that to his face though."

 _That_ was a good thing. "It sounds like they have some problems they need to work out," Aeris said. "They should sit down and try to work out their differences."

"Zack's trying to work things out. He's also trying to get my Summon back," Cloud grumbled.

Aeris frowned and Cloud fixed his eyes on the sprawling sky above them, not wanting to tell her what had happened. He hated himself for being careless and shoving Odin in his duffel bag. He was still trying to figure out how the heck he'd made such a dumb mistake. And remembering how he'd had his Summon taken away from him put him in an even _worse_ mood than the one he was in. Sephiroth had been righteous and arrogant. Condescending and rude. And had taken great pleasure in depriving them of something that obviously meant a great deal to them.

 _"Tell me what you cherish most. Give me the pleasure of taking it away!"_ Cloud seethed, once again hearing _those_ words in his head. He would always remember them until his dying day.

"We - lost Odin," he finally said, punching a cushion in the pews. "The general confiscated it and said that he was going to give it to Genesis as a gift. Hopefully Genesis will give it back, so we don't have to steal it. It'll come in handy in Nibelheim."

"I see," said Aeris, sounding very disappointed.

Cloud put down the pillow and looked away, knowing he had royally screwed up. He and Zack had planned on unleashing Odin upon Jenova, and seeing if Summons had an advantage over her. Now that advantage was gone and they would be forced to resort to swords and materia, the latter of which was not going to be very effective. Sephiroth possessed very high magic resistance and it stood to reason that his "Mother's" would be even higher. Hell, with their luck, magic wouldn't even affect her. "I'm sorry," he told Aeris, pressing his forehead against his temples. "I didn't mean to lose it. I can't believe I lost one of our potentially best weapons."

 _I beg your pardon?_ "Why do you say that?"

"Gut feeling," Cloud replied. "She freaked out when a Summons materia was brought into the reactor nearly broke out of her tank. The report said she went crazy."

 _Oh._ Aeris leaned into him, now seeing why he was so depressed. Losing the Summon was a setback, but it was not as huge a setback as he seemed to think it was. "Jenova was reacting in anger, not fear, when Hojo and Hollander showed up with that Summon," she explained. "Summons have _no_ advantage over her, but she will attack anyone who brings one before her out of pure malice and hatred. The Cetra used Summons to defeat Jenova the day she fell and was sealed beneath the earth. She will never forgive or forget what they did. All the same, though, you should try and get Odin back. It may help you and it does no good to anyone sitting on a shelf in Genesis' trophy collection."

 _"If_ it makes its way to Genesis' trophy collection," muttered Cloud. "Sephiroth likes to keep souvenirs."

He stretched out across the pews and rested his eyes, trying not to think about the mess they'd gotten into with the general. A look of peace spread across his face as his thoughts turned to blue skies, rolling green fields and yellow flowers growing on a hill. Aeris removed her jacket and draped it across him as moonlight streamed through the hole in the ceiling and washed over him. A wordless sigh escaped from his lips as he looked back at all that he had lost, and looked ahead to all the happiness that could yet still come. The world seemed to fall still as hope and love radiated from him, and he turned the force of his feelings upon the people around him. Angeal looked at him in wonder, through the shutters, as he poured all his heart into achieving this goal, and Aeris stared at him in reverent silence - no longer seeing a boy, but a wise and brave warrior-king.

"You'll find a way to get your Summon back, Cloud," she said, now understanding why the Planet had sent Odin back with Cloud.

It was fitting that Cloud should bear a Summon named after the great Norse warrior-god who had sacrificed himself for wisdom to save his people.

 _Odin and his valkyries live on in Cloud and his friends,_ Aeris thought, as Cloud's cell phone began to ring loudly.

Cloud shot up like he had been shot and scowled at his PHS. "I wish these unlisted numbers would quit calling me," he complained, holding up his phone. "The person who called me earlier is calling me back _again._ They don't know when to quit."

 _And you need to be more polite! What if it is your mother on the phone?_ Aeris disapproved.

"You should see who is calling," she scolded him, getting one of her hunches. "Only friends have your number, right?" She smiled wryly and snatched the phone away from him before the caller could hang up. Cloud flung his arms up in exasperation as she put it on speaker-phone, forcing him to take the call. He mouthed something - that looked like "why do you do this to me"- and plopped down beside the pews, looking very defeated. Aeris ignored his sullen expression and pressed her lips to the microphone, cooing, "Hell-ooo-ooo-ooo! May I ask who's calling? I'm a good friend of Cloud's! Would you like to speak to him? He's sitting right beside me, and I can put him on the line for you."

Her eyes lit up as a weary female voice said, "Yeah, yes please. That would be great. I've been trying to get in touch with him for the past two days, but he _never_ picks up. I was beginning to think that Mrs. Strife had given me the wrong number. Or that something bad had happened?"

 _Am. I. Dreaming?_ Cloud stumbled back, slamming into the pew behind him. He winced as his shoulder blades scraped against the closed shutters and his sports watch snagged on the door knob. Aeris shot him an "I told you so look" as he dove for his phone and laughed airily when he pressed it to his chest, clenching it between his fingers in a neck-breaking grip. Floorboards creaked beneath his feet as he dropped to his knees, shaking. His pulse skyrocketed as he began to press buttons - frantically trying to raise the volume - and from the way he pressed them, you could tell that he did not have much experience using a cell phone. Tifa's voice faded in and out as water crashed down around him, and Cloud swore under his breath, wishing that he could go outside and speak to her in the street where he would be able to hear her, loud and clearly. Doing so, however, could prove fatal if a Turk came along, so he ducked inside a side room and drew the curtain to muffle the sounds outside.

"Tifa - I didn't think that you were going to get back to me," he confessed, slumping against the velvet chair inside the side room. "When you didn't e-mail me, I thought you'd lost faith in me? And that you -"

"I'm not - not in the least," Tifa quickly said, wishing that he hadn't asked her _that_ question. "Mr. Valentine was in the basement, right where you told me he'd be. I broke into the safe, got the key - "

- _and've spent the last few days worrying that someone's gonna find out what I've done and come after me and Papa!_

_'Xcuse me for taking so long. And for not sending an e-mail everyone can read._

Cloud drew a deep breath, detecting the lie in her voice. His throat tightened as he realized the cause of her anger, and Aeris lifted the curtain to find him driving his knuckles into the boards - regretting that he hadn't hitched a ride back to Nibelheim and freed Vincent himself. Tifa had to have gone through hell, fighting her way through the mansion, and Vincent was cold, intimidating, and violent. He was _not_ a nice person, and Cloud suddenly felt ill, thinking about them spending so much time together. It couldn't have been a pleasant experience, and Chaos had no doubt bullied her and done everything he could to traumatize her. Chaos had told him once that spirit energy with a dash of fear in it tasted best, and that he loved to feast on the souls of brave little girls, oh god! Had her life been threatened?

"I'm very sorry," Cloud murmured, voice brimming with anguish. Tifa meant the world to him, and suddenly he was faced with losing her trust and losing her respect. He had known, going into this, that there would be casualties, but he had never imagined that Tifa's friendship would be one of the first things he'd lose. "I never wanted for you to get hurt. If I could go back and change things!"

Tifa shrugged on the other end of the phone. It was too late to change what had happened and he had known from the start that she would end up hurt when he had decided to give her half-truths and withhold information. The best thing they could do was not speak about the pain he'd caused her, and move on. She would get over it, if he gave her time, and trust him again. And - "Mr. Brooding Vampire wants to speak to you," she suddenly announced. "He's thought about what you said about working together, and wants to know why he should work with you when he has the powers of Chaos at his disposal and can do anything he wants. You'll have to make your case and convince him, and it's gonna be hard. He's a bit of a lone wolf and doesn't play nice with other people."

Cloud rolled his eyes at her words. _So typically Vincent._

"Where are you going?" he wanted to know. "Back to your dad's?"

"Back to the mountain to look for birds' eggs," she replied with a forced laugh. "Chaos wants Vincent to have hardboiled eggs and roasted potatoes for breakfast, and the chocobo eggs in town are not 'rustic enough.' If I hurry, I should be able to get back here before the Sahagins come crawling outta their caves to find me. I'm supposed to be a delicacy to them. Now - here's - "

"Vincent." Cloud coolly greeted the former Turk, reigning in his emotions. Vincent was going to be a piece of work to "persuade", and he could not afford to show any vulnerability. The gunman would dismiss him if he thought that he was weak, and the demon who lived inside him would consider him fair prey if he screwed this up. Chaos took savage delight in taking out people who attempted to coerce him and Vincent into doing things they didn't want to do. And Cloud knew that if these "negotiations" went south, the fiend would consider him "unworthy of living."

Getting decapitated by an angry demon was not something he particularly wished to experience, so he steadied his voice, hardened his heart and said, "I am Cloud Strife and I am the leader of an elite team, operating in Midgar. We plan on _crippling_ the Shinra Power Electric Company, _killing_ Professor Hojo, and _bringing down_ the Jenova Project before anymore lives are ruined. We do not want to see anyone else end up like _Sephiroth_ or _Lucrecia_."

Vincent cleared his throat, and Cloud hesitated - thinking perhaps that he had come on a bit too strongly. Lucrecia was a sore spot for Vincent, and mentioning her from the get go might have been a major mistake. At last, the gunman said, "I request you show respect when talking about Lucrecia and be upfront with me about your 'credentials.' Inflating them puts us off to a bad start."

"And I request you don't make assumptions about me," responded Cloud. "There is much I can do. I am - "

"- A child," pointed out Vincent. "A sixteen-year-old boy - "

" - with an Ancient and SOLDIER 1st Class on my side. The Ancient is the last of her kind and trusts me with her life, and the 1st is a match for the entire Shinra army!" Cloud snapped, cutting off Vincent. The gunman fell silent, taken aback by the force behind his words and confident demeanor, and Cloud decided to go on the offensive. "I have healing power and muscle to back up any threat I make, and _intelligence_. The information that I've gathered will bring Hojo and the company down, and lead to the elimination of Jenova. I am willing to share it with you...if you agree to work with me. If not, there will be consequences for you and your demon."

He gave Vincent a moment - letting what he had said register and sink in.

Aeris gripped his shoulder, worriedly, hoping that he knew what he was doing. His tone was hostile and threatening, and he had just called the Harbinger of the End out. She heard the voice of her mother cry out in pain as a powerful tremor rippled through the Lifestream, and felt grateful that she and Cloud were hundreds of miles away from Nibelheim, where Chaos was snarling and begging his host to let him eviscerate the "insolent boy." Cloud had made the monster truly mad and Vincent sounded mad as well and inclined to let Chaos have his way, for the next words out of his mouth were, "Is that a threat, Cloud? Chaos and I would like to know."

Cloud imagined Vincent staring him down in the basement and glared into the phone. "No - it's not a threat," he said, adopting the same tone he had used the day he had met Vincent and convinced him to join his party. "You'll be in for a world of pain and suffering, but I won't be the cause of it. The pain will come from Hojo, who has experimented on Sephiroth and his two friends, and put Jenova cells in their bodies. If we do nothing, Sephiroth will be sent to Nibelheim to meet Jenova, and we will have two terminally ill 1sts running around causing chaos as they look for a cure. Jenova will take over Sephiroth's mind and you will lose him and we will be forced to kill him. Is that something you want to have happen, _Vincent?"_

"No - it's not," Vincent said. "I do not want her to take him and I do not want to see Meteor summoned."

Cloud froze at his words. Vincent clearly knew _a lot,_ and for a moment Cloud was tempted to ask him if he remembered fighting Sephiroth. Chaos was a servant of the Planet and there was the possibility that the demon's memories might have been preserved; the Planet would not want to cripple her Dark Emissary. "Who told you about Meteor?" he asked, certain that it had not been Tifa; he had not said a word to her about the Black Materia. "How much do you know?"

"Sufficient," Vincent replied, hoping that Cloud would back down if he withheld information from him. "Enough for _me_ to decide to put an end to this. It's time Hojo paid for what he's done to _my_ family."

 _Your family?_ Cloud felt his eyes sting.

"Your family as in you, Lucrecia and Sephiroth?" he hissed, amazed. He grasped Aeris' hand in desperation, suddenly not sure what to say; had they known this, eight years ago, Sephiroth would have realized that he had a father who loved him, and rejected Jenova. Father and son would have been reunited - Nibelheim never would have burned to the ground - and the people he cared about would have _lived_. "I always thought that you looked a little like Sephiroth, but I never imagined that you were his father. H - how did you find this out?" he demanded, now visibly shaken. "Is it something you've always known or did Chaos tell you? Is that why you decided to break out of the mansion?"

Vincent decided that there would be no point in lying to the boy about how he'd found out. If he did not tell Cloud about the documents in the safe, Lockhart would the next time that they spoke. "Your friend discovered Sephiroth's files, among other things," he said.

 _"Among other things"_ sounded ominous and Cloud had the feeling Vincent was not about to tell him what those "other things" were. The former Turk had made it clear that he did not trust him, and Cloud was beginning to think that he could not trust Vincent. Vincent had always preferred to operate on his own - and he would be even more inclined to do his own thing now that he had learned that he was Sephiroth's father. Anyone who tried to come between him and his quest for personal vengeance would be put in their place. And anyone who persisted, after receiving a back breaking warning, would quietly disappear. Perhaps the best way to secure Vincent's cooperation, Cloud mused, would be to let him carry out his revenge scheme. With severe conditions placed on what he could do. Vincent would be pissed, of course, and Chaos would want to kill him, but they wouldn't dare interfere with him. And when they saw that he was a man of his word, he would win their respect.

"We need to talk about where we're going to go from here," Cloud said, giving Vincent the chance to join him without conditions. "I want your help. If _we_ work together, we can eliminate Hojo and Jenova and save your _son_. I have information that'd be of benefit to you, and you have firepower and knowledge that could make a real difference. Will you help me?"

As expected, Vincent declined. "No, I won't." Vincent said. "I destroyed the library for you, so Sephiroth will not find any books if he is sent to Nibelheim. But the help ends there. I will not provide any further assistance, _child._ "

Cloud and Aeris tensed. "Do you plan on killing Jenova and Hojo?" the swordsman asked; if yes, conditions would be imposed.

"Yes, I do. Neither of them will live much longer."

 _Fuck!_ Cloud shook his head. Vincent was strong, but the bitch in the reactor had been building her strength for centuries and had the advantage. The alien-freak would cripple the gunman if Vincent went after her and tear the Protomateria from his chest. Chaos would take over and go beserk, and Nibelheim would burn -this time, not at the hands of a SOLDIER, but a shape-shifting Turk. Tifa and his mother would die and Chaos would go rampaging across the continent, killing everyone. The WEAPONS would awaken and they would face an even worse enemy than Sephiroth. It would an army to take down Chaos, and the Planet would be very upset when Aeris summoned Holy.

"I apologize, Vincent, but I'm afraid I can't let you go after them," he sternly said. "I want to kill both of them, but it will be on _my_ terms, _not_ yours. If you go vigilante and act on your own, you will pay heavily for it. Jenova will _rip_ away your humanity if you go after her, and I will make you regret your choice. I will come down on you so hard you will wish you'd stayed in that basement. Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?"

 _Perfectly._ Vincent did not dignify Cloud with an answer. Silence sometimes was the best answer you could give an enemy.

"I hope that means 'yes,'" Cloud carried on - not the least bit off put by the sudden silence on the other end of the line. A gap in the conversation on Vincent's end merely meant that he had made Vincent think, and that was what he wanted. Vincent would realize the threat Jenova posed to him if he thought about it, and if he decided to disregard the danger and go up to the reactor anyway...he would be in for a very rude surprise.

Cloud went onto phase #2: explaining what would happen if they became enemies. "I want you to kill Hojo," he announced. "You _owe_ it to Sephiroth and Lucrecia. However, I'm not going to be able to save him for you if you start doing your own thing. Set foot near that reactor - and you will forfeit your right to Hojo. I will go upstairs and end his miserable life the moment I receive word that shady things are going on at the reactor. And you will _fail_ Sephiroth and Lucrecia again. Got it?"

_Loud and clear..._

...except...there was one problem with the threat.

"Jenova, you should know," said Vincent, "was not in her room when I went up to the reactor this morning. Hojo moved her. You should do your research better before you threaten people."

Cloud went numb at this unwelcome revelation. He had expected Jenova to be there, not put on a boat and shipped out to Corel or gift-wrapped and sent for special, overnight delivery to Junon. This changed everything. "Do you have any idea where she might be? Were there any clues?" he choked, not expecting an answer. He had, after all, just threatened Vincent.

Vincent, however, wanted him to know that he was one step ahead of him and did not need his help. "The documents _I've_ found mention a hidden lab, built under the mountain," the gunman coldly said. "Chaos believes Hojo moved her there. She is still in Nibelheim. He can feel her. "

 _Thank you, Planet! That_ was good news. Cloud suddenly felt very relieved, even though finding the location of the lab was going to involve a monumental amount of work.

The thought of Vincent, on the other hand, exploring a dangerous, underground area they knew nothing about filled him with dread.

"I want you to stay away from that lab," Cloud exclaimed. "Do not go looking for it. And do not go after Jenova. You will lose everything if you do."

 _Smash._ Ancient and swordsman were greeted to the sound glass shattering and wood splintering. They heard a low-growl rumble through their phone's speakers. And then Chaos, himself, got on the phone. **"Would you care to repeat what you just said to my host, Little Cloud?"** the demon snarled. **"I believe you said something about killing Hojo and depriving me of _my_ right to his blood."**

Cloud stilled at the fiend's words, but recovered quickly and maintained his composure. He could not afford to show any fear when dealing with Chaos, and knew that he was safe for the time-being. The worst thing that Chaos could do was shout at him through the phone line. Death by demon, at a later date, was a very real possibility, but Cloud had ceased to care. He had been thinking about his mortality a lot lately, and had come to terms with the fact that what he was going to end up paying with his life for setting things straight. He had rubbed too many people the wrong way and knew that he wouldn't be able to outlast his enemies. Sooner or later he would end up dead; it was inevitable. Whether he died at the hands of a Turk, the fangs of a demon, or the claws of Jenova remained to be seen though; there were so many ways to die.

One thing he knew, though, was he would not die alone. He would take Hojo and Jenova with him, and die knowing that the Planet and his friends were safe. _It'll end this time for good,_ he vowed, as he narrowed his eyes at the phone and braced himself for a confrontation with Chaos.

"Yes, you're correct," he told the demon. "I said all those things. And I mean them. I want to be there when Jenova dies - that is non-negotiable. Say 'no' and suffer the consequences."

 **"You do not have the strength to kill Hojo,"** Chaos snapped, calling his bluff. **"You are a foolish little boy who has been sheltered all his life. You do not know what it is like to take another life, and you will soon find out you do not have the courage, child."**

Cloud snorted - _if Vincent and Chaos only knew.._. He had seen more death and destruction than anyone else his age, and had no qualms about killing people to protect the Planet. He had killed men, women and children, cutting them down indiscriminately - and had learned the hard way not to give evil people second chances. Yazoo and Loz had shot him in the back when he had decided killing Kadaj was sufficient, and Rosso the Crimson had run off to murder WRO convoys after he had spared her life on the battlefield and let her retreat. Rufus had gone ballistic when he had found out he'd crossed blades with Rosso and not killed her, and Cloud could not blame him. She had been irredeemable. Like Hojo. The -

 _\- bastard,_ Cloud seethed. "You know nothing about me," he said, carefully choosing his words for maximum effect. "I _know_ what it's like to kill someone in cold blood. And I've thought about how I'm going to off Hojo. If you do not cooperate, I will take my sword and decapitate him. It will be a _quick_ and _painless_ death to avoid screams. I can't afford to tip off the entire building."

 **"And if I cooperate, sniveling child?"** roared Chaos.

"Then you can have him, and give him the painful death he deserves," replied Cloud. "He's in Midgar, right now, by the way. I expect he'll be here for awhile," he added, feeling his temples throb; having Vincent and Chaos in Midgar would be a fucking nightmare, but the alternative would be leaving them in Nibelheim where they could get in trouble. And that was not an option. "If you want him, you should come and get him."

Chaos sneered into the phone and clacked his claws together. **"If I come to Midgar,"** he growled, **"I will pay you a visit, as well.** **I would like to see if you are as brave in person as you are on the telephone. _Lockhart_ tells me you have a backbone. I wonder at what point your backbone snaps, dead child?"**

Once again, the line went silent. Chaos was good and pissed now, and Cloud began to worry about Tifa's safety. The way Chaos said Tifa's name was less than reassuring. Chaos had never shown any interest in going after his victims' friends, but he had never been challenged so brazenly before, and Cloud suddenly felt very afraid that he would start going after them to teach him a lesson. Hurting Tifa would be a damned good way of getting back at him. Or murdering his mother. _I've got to reassure them I have good intentions and show them that I can be trusted,_ he reminded himself. The question was, though, how to prove himself to Chaos? With hundreds of miles between them, that was easier said than done. Perhaps directing Vincent towards a weapon of ultimate power would put them on the right track?

"I don't know at what point my backbone snaps. But I do know Lucrecia left a few items behind when she lost the will to keep living and buried herself alive," he told the demon, praying that Vincent wouldn't use this weapon to take his life. "There's a gun in the Crystal Cave where you were first discovered. It's called the Death Penalty and it's very powerful. Even stronger than Cerberus. I thought you might like to have it. As a memento from Lucrecia."

Yellow eyes snapped open on Vincent's end of the line. **"What do you know about the Crystal Cave?"** Chaos demanded.

"I know about the protomateria, Grimoire and the grave there," answered Cloud, deciding to speak with total honesty. "I've seen Lucrecia floating in mako, and when I saw her empty shell, I wished that Sephiroth could've met her, just once. She -"

" - Never got to hold him. Hojo took him away from her the moment he was born," murmured Vincent, now back in control. There was a pause, and then Vincent said, "Thank you for telling me about the Crystal Cave, Cloud. I will go pick up the Death Penalty -" - _and pay my respects to Lucrecia. I will see what she wants me to do and then we will go from there._

"You're welcome," Cloud said, making no attempt to conceal his relief.

He was glad that he no longer had to deal with Chaos, and he was beginning to feel that they were making progress. Chaos would have refused to relinquish control and continued to threaten him if his words had not made an impact. And he couldn't recall a time that Vincent had ever thanked him. Maybe there was yet hope that they would be able to work together. Perhaps the gunman would have a change of heart after he saw Lucrecia in her mako-prison and passions were stirred and re-awakened. Love could be overwhelming and overpowering, driving people to do things that they wouldn't normally do and make sacrifices that they wouldn't normally make, and Vincent had to love Her more than ever now that he knew that Sephiroth was their son.

"You should try to talk to her while you're there. She might hear you, wherever she is."

His voice trailed off, and Vincent silently thanked him for not forcing the conversation; he did not need advice on how to talk to Lucrecia. Or be told how to grieve for her. How he chose to pay respects to her was his business and his _alone._

"So, where do _we_ stand?" Cloud asked, sensing the gunman's unhappiness. "What are you going to do about Jenova? Where does this leave _us?_ "

Vincent took a moment to reply. Yielding was not part of his nature and the thought of working with a _minor_ sickened him. He wanted to tell Cloud that Jenova was his and his alone and that he was being a fool, but bit his tongue - realizing that it would be in their best interests for him to accept the child's conditions. Cloud would run off and get himself killed trying to eliminate Hojo and his monster, if he said "no." And he would spend the rest of his immortal existence hating himself for letting stubborness prevent him from fulfilling his duty to Lucrecia. Hojo would have the time of his life, laughing at him for being weak and bull-headed from the Lifestream, and Lucrecia would be devastated when he visited what was left of her and broke the news to her.

"There - is - no _us,_ " Vincent said at last, between measured breaths. "I'm doing this for Lucrecia. Not for you."

Cloud picked up his sword and dragged it across the floor so Vincent could hear the sound of cold, sharp steel. "I gotcha," he said, with disappointment. "I'll be at Hojo's this morning."

 _Wait!_ Vincent squeezed his PHS so hard that it almost shattered. "That will be unnecessary," the marksman exhaled loudly. "I will fly to Midgar...and take Hojo's life. You and I will talk...and I will decide, then what to do about Jenova. You've gotten what you've wanted for the time being. Will you give me your word that you won't touch Hojo?"

"For the time being" was _not_ what they wanted, but Cloud did not see himself getting a better guarantee than that from Vincent. Trying to force Vincent into making an absolute promise would end in disaster, and destroy the semi-trust he'd generated. "For the time being" would have to do for now. "Okay, you have my word," he acquiesced. "Hojo is yours. Come and kill him."

Vincent started to say, "I will..." but was cut off mid-sentence as Chaos took control of him. The demon had decided that he wanted to get one last word in before the conversation ended - politeness be damned. The monster snickered at his exasperated host and smiled exaggeratedly into the phone, "aheming" loudly to get Cloud's attention. The startled boy dropped his PHS and Chaos laughed once for good measure. **"I assume you know that bad things happen to naughty children who don't keep their word?"** the demon purred.

Cloud picked up his phone and slid his finger over the "OFF" button - fighting the urge to press it. Zack was moaning uncomfortably in the background, and looked like he could use some reassurance. With his best friend in need of some attention, he had no interest in standing there, getting into an argument with a crazed, angry demon. "I gave Vincent my word," he spat, "and I meant it. Like I said earlier, I won't go after Hojo. He's yours to do with as you please. You can rip out his heart, drop a piano on his head or do whatever suits your black, homicidal little heart. I don't care - " - _Zack needs me_.

Chaos cackled at him as he raced out of the side room. **"I think, I would prefer to rip out your heart and eat it, man-child,"** the demon mused. **"Brave little boys are supposed to have tender hearts. Thank you for giving me the idea."**

Cloud almost dropped the phone again - not sure what to make of what Chaos had just said. Had Chaos just threatened him? Or was the monster merely bullshitting and talking out of his ass? He had been under the impression that he and Vincent had reached an uneasy understanding. It appeared he'd been mistaken. Chaos evidently felt that the understanding they'd reached was not good enough. Or, more likely, the demon had accepted his word of honor, and was now looking to trip him up so he could accuse him of lying, and have an excuse to - _what had Chaos said he wanted to do_ \- oh yes, rip out his heart and eat it. That sounded _wonderful._

"Glad to be of help," the exasperated swordsman retorted. "It's nice to know I'm feeding you ideas. Would you like to do some more brainstorming? You seem determined to find a way to take my life. I guess you plan on killing me?"

 **"I'd like to, but I won't."** Chaos lulled, amused by Cloud's audaciousness. The boy deserved to die a terrible for death speaking to him so insolently, but Vincent would be most displeased if he killed the brat, and would spend Eternity bitching about it. Listening to Vincent carry on about letting down Lucrecia's child was bad enough; listening to his host vent about Sephiroth + Cloud would be intolerable, and would drive him to seek out a premature hibernation. And going into premature hibernation was not something he relished doing when the Planet was full of so many annoying people and sinners to munch on. **"I've looked into my crystal ball and I've foreseen that it won't be me."**

"A friend once told me she thought you could see the future," Cloud irritably said as he administered to his best friend. "Can you tell me what might happen to us?" He meant it sarcastically, but Chaos took it as a challenge to his divine might.

The demon smiled malevolently on his end of the line. He was not an all-knowing demon, like the silly boy suggested he was, but his connection with the Planet was strong enough for him to...make out a few things. Minerva would not speak to him again, until the End when Omega arose, but her mind remained open to him, and there were times when she let him see things like... _Hojo strolling through a dusty, dimly lit tunnel... a woman running down a train tunnel, screaming... ...people cheering as a boy was inducted into SOLDIER..._ and ... _a King Behemoth barreling towards the boy... trying to...rip him to shreds._

 ** _Very...interesting..._** mused Chaos. **"Hojo is on the move. He is headed somewhere important."** he murmured, thinking out loud as he pondered what could be. **"Knowing Hojo, he is up to no good. There's a woman...fleeing for her life at a train station...and a King Behemoth chasing you through a building. It appears someone other than myself wants you dead, Cloud. That is all. She's closed her mind to me."**

"I see," Cloud calmly said, convinced that Chaos was trying to get a rise out of him and antagonize him. Confrontation was a likely outcome, but the chances of it occurring where Chaos implied it would occur, were, in his mind, zero. He and Zack had no reason to hang out at a train station, and the things the fiend was saying about the monster had to be B.S. because there were no King Behemoths in Midgar. They were only found in the Northern Crater; any infantryman and Turk knew that. What did Chaos think he was? A moron? "Thank you for telling me I'm going to be eaten by a giant wolf-monster," he added, deciding that the conversation had become intolerably stupid, and was over. "Remember what I said about cutting off Hojo's head. You have my number if you want to contact me. Now...have a good day."

Aeris gaped at him as he hung up on the now livid demon. "I never imagined you'd do that," she said. "I don't know if I should hug you for standing up to him, or yell at you for being so - reckless - and so crazy. After this, he'll want to break your kneecaps."

Cloud shrugged. Chaos would forget about it after being forced to endure a trans-continental guilt trip from Vincent, en route to Midgar, and if he still hadn't gotten over it by then...oh well. He had more important stuff to think about than a high maintenance demon's feelings. Zack came first, and he needed to decide what he was going to do about Jenova and her new base of operations.

The comments Vincent had made about a secret underground lab disturbed him, and made him feel anxious. They would need to find out where it was located - the sooner, in Cloud's mind, the better. Hojo had already moved Jenova once, and Cloud was afraid he would fly down to Nibelheim and move her again.

Obtaining information on the lab, of course, would be difficult; the files would be top-secret, heavily protected, and heavily pass-worded. And there was a strong chance that the information wouldn't even be stored on a PC. Most likely, it would be kept in a safe in Hojo's office, and getting to that safe would require an organized, carefully planned break-in. And that break-in would require security system knowledge and hacker skills, none of which he possessed.

Zack had done a good job so far hacking into the madman's computers, but breaking into Hojo's office was an entirely different matter. The job was completely beyond his skill level, and asking Vincent for help was not an option when the gunman mistrusted him and balked at giving him information.

Not to mention...the gunman was also hundreds of miles away. _And_ shared a body with a demon who liked to blow things up, leave blood spatters on the wall and make a scene. Chaos' idea of a break-in would be rousing the entire building, killing all the guards as they ran into the office, and then dramatically flying off into the night with Hojo's computer. And that was _most definitely not happening._ They would be better off recruiting a good-natured, cocky wiz kid like Reno. Or a non-violent tactician like -

"First Sergeant," rasped Cloud, realizing that they would have a very hard time pulling this off without Angeal; the man was brilliant, had access to everything, and was hailed as the person who had shutdown all communication in Fort Tambelin. He was quick and efficient, knew all of Hojo's habits, and was trustworthy and dependable...when he was in his right mind and felt that he wasn't doing something criminal or immoral. Convincing Angeal to participate in a break-in would be like convincing someone to get all of their teeth pulled without anesthesia. And if Angeal went nuts when they told him the truth about the degradation and Jenova, all that talent would be turned against them and used to make their lives a living hell.

"I hope that you're right about Angeal, Zack," Cloud whispered, trying to dismiss his doubts and not think about depressing things like living hell, "'cos we're going to need him for something big. I just got off the phone with Vincent and he told me that Hojo has a hidden lab. Jenova's holed up inside it and it'll take all the help we can get to find a way in and get her dead." He waded out into the water and put a hand on Zack's drenched, icy arm.

Zack gripped at the towel he held out to him and made a soft, keening sound that reminded him of the noise made by a baby bird. The 1st slouched against him and Cloud knew that Zack had heard him, somewhere in there, because his features eased and he rubbed his face against the cotton towel - nuzzling it like it was a squishy toy or a soft blanket. Apparently, making plans to commit mayhem in Hojo's office had a soothing effect on the most distraught people. Or maybe it was the magic of fuzzy towels. With Zack, who knew? At any rate, Zack looked a lot more relaxed than he had been a minute ago, and that was what mattered to Cloud. Seeing Zack in emotional agony approached Hojo levels of unbearable.

But, fortunately for them, the Professor would soon be dead.

"I promised Vincent he could have Hojo," Cloud said, thinking that the news would calm Zack even more. "He and Chaos are going to fly out to Midgar and kill him. I couldn't get a hold of sharks, but I did find a homicidal demon. And that's even better, right?"

Zack's lips moved at the mention of homicidal demons and Cloud got down beside his friend. He pushed some soggy hair out of Zack's face, then motioned to Aeris to bring him some more towels. After squatting in the water, he would need a good toweling off and a change of fresh clothes. And that did not mean bring him biker shorts and an adorable short-sleeved T-shirt with bright yellow chocobos dancing down the sleeves, goddamnit!

"The chocobo outfit's for Zack, I hope?" he inquired. "And the leather jacket, blue jeans and boots are for me?"

"One fits you, the other fits Zack," she distractedly replied, dropping the cool looking outfit. She let it lie on the floor and hurried to Cloud's side. Who got to wear what was the last thing on her mind when Zack was about to revisit the most painful time in his life. "He's scared. I can feel his distress. Something bad is about to happen," she warned him as Zack let out a miserable heartrending whimper.

Tears spilled from Zack's eyes as the memories returned, and any subconscious awareness he had of his friends faded away. The past was calling to him and he plunged back into darkness - unable to escape it.

**_εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000_ **

_He ran through the shadow-world, fleeing from his memories. For the past half-hour, he had been forced to re-live terrible things, like robots attacking Costa del Sol and Junon, gunning down everyone they could find in the streets. He and Sephiroth had confronted Hollander at the bottom of a mako reactor, and he had then been attacked by Genesis, who had spouted angry poetry at him. The two of them had fought fiercely, until Genesis had lost his marbles and decided to put himself out of his misery. Zack had had no choice but to watch as the once-proud 1st took his own life, throwing himself down an elevator shaft. The Lifestream had granted him clemency and spirited him away before he had had a chance to see the body hit rock bottom, but being spared that gruesome sight was only minor consolation to the shaken boy. Witnessing Gillian and Genesis' suicides had traumatized him, and left him with scars that he would carry for the rest of his life._

_As he flew from the encroaching darkness, Zack called out to his friends, praying that they would hear him, and answer. He had not encountered Angeal since the Turks had destroyed Banora or Cloud since Genesis' suicide in Modeoheim, and feared that they were dead as well. Tseng had failed to provide him with proof that Angeal had escaped the bombing, and Cloud had gone racing off into the bunker after Hollander - unenhanced, unarmed and unsure of where he was going. And Hollander, unfortunately, had been armed with a gun and had had a miniature missile sticking out of his medical case._

_How Hollander had managed to cram a missile into his bag bewildered the hell out of him And how he was supposed to make sense of the things he was seeing in the memory-world boggled Zack's mind. The memory-world was confusing as hell, with everything being all jumbled up and shuffled around. It was impossible to figure out what was going on when he was being ferried from place to place, and all the memories that he experienced were fragmented and disorienting. There was no sense of time or chronology for him to follow. One moment he would be in Junon, slaying robots. The next thing he knew he'd be back in the Slums, looking for parts to make a cute-looking, girly_ **_...flower wagon?_** _And then it would be back to Wutai to battle an Infrit-Summon someone had intentionally let out to kick his ass._

_"Screw that guy and his Summon. And fuck you too, Hollander, " Zack choked, holding the doctor at fault for Genesis' suicide. It seemed to him like the disgusting little man had been trying his damndest to push Genesis over the edge when they'd fought, making manipulative little comments like: "You need me, Genesis - if I'm gone, who is going to halt the degradation? I'm the only person who can help you find a cure - Hojo won't do it for you - I'll save your life and treat your enhancements. You'll stop being a monster!"_

Ironic - coming from a monster himself _,_ _were Zack's thoughts as the darkness caught up to him and the world began to once again form around him._

 _Zack braced himself for more unhappiness to come as the inky surface beneath his feet turned into mud-red earth. Previously invisible walls around him rolled out towards him, solidifying and gaining texture as they bore down upon him. Wood, brick, and thatch burst out of nothingness to cover houses, barns and family-owned shops. Ivy snaked up the side of a building that appeared to be an Inn, possessively coiling around it, and a water tower materialized nearby him, teetering precariously on rotted wooden stilts. A horse neighed and a dog barked and lights in the houses came on one by one. Zack turned around and around, gazing at parents putting their children to bed and families sitting down to eat through their brightly illuminated windows. The rickety sign hanging over the Inn creaked, and Zack looked at it and saw the words "NIBELHEIM" etched above the doors. Panic filled him as he realized that he was on a cliff overlooking the town where all the experiments and all the horror had begun. And as he unsheathed his weapon -_ Really? the Buster Sword? _-_ _he heard a voice he knew very well say, "Zack, do you remember what I said to you about wanting to be left alone in the library?"_

_Zack lowered the Buster Sword and started to inch down the trail towards the village. Sephiroth was somewhere nearby - probably just around the bend. With Hojo and Jenova in Nibelheim, they needed to find each other and stick together._

_"No - I don't." he said, not remembering ever having a conversation with Sephiroth in a library. "It must've been late. I was probably tired at the time and not in my right mind."_

_"And neither was I! But now, my eyes have been opened, and I know the Truth! I will never be deceived again!" the general sneered._

_Zack took an uneasy step forward - failing to see anything funny about the situation they were in. His nerves were frayed, there was a power-hungry alien-bitch lying in wait for them up the mountain, and they had serious business to attend to. He wasn't sure what it was, just yet, but it had to be important. Shinra wouldn't waste their dollars sending him and Sephiroth to deal with something unimportant like an alleged monster sighting. Their business had to be with the mansion or the reactor, and his Spiky-haired friend had told him that both were terrible places to be; one road led to laboratories and unspeakable experiments, and the other to the lair of the nasty blue psycho freak. "Can you, um, tell us where we're going?" he asked, needing reassurance. "And what's this thing that you found out? You said you've learned the Truth?"_

Yes - I have. I know the Truth now about my origins. About my purpose. And about my destiny _. Sephiroth's slitted green eyes contracted and sparkled malignantly._

_"I have found what I've been looking for all my life. Something that those pathetic little dullards tried to hide from me," the general laughed, taking pleasure in his companion's obvious disorientation._

_His laugh was cold, cruel and mocking; silky, velvety and rich; and full of thinly veiled malice and artificial sweetness. It was arrogant and lofty; predatory and feral; ethereal and unnatural all at the same time; and made Zack stop dead in his tracks. A shiver crept up the freaked out 1st's spine, and Sephiroth laughed again to torment the boy, and get under his skin. And this time, there was no mistaking the sadism in his laugh. Or the anger and the hatred in his voice. Or the desire to kill._

_Zack dropped his sword and stared blankly at his former friend, first with denial and then with despair. His shoulders slouched and eyes widened as Sephiroth emerged from the shadows, his beautiful, gentle features perverted and twisted by pure, unadulterated rage._

_The paralyzed boy let out a strangled, wordless cry as the general slithered past him, eyes glowing with excited, murderous intent. Horror, loneliness and fear flowed through the young 1st as Sephiroth sauntered down the trail, heading towards the town. Memories of fighting together and spending time together assaulted him, battering him from all directions. Voices he did not recognize howled around him, confusing him and adding to his terror. Images of Angeal, Cloud and his parents flashed before his eyes, reminding him of all he had lost, and all he had yet to lose. He saw himself shoveling dirt with Aeris in the garden and heard her say, "Do you remember the story of the Fallen Warlord? He was the greatest swordsman in the world. People who hated him deceived him, and their lies drove him insane. He went on a rampage...and destroyed an entire town...then went after Jenova..."_

"...hell bent on rescuing her and traveling to the Promised Land..." _finished Zack as he collapsed - cut to the quick. He grabbed at his sword as he sank to his knees, wondering if this had really happened, or if he was taking the story Aeris had told him about the Warlord and the swordsman, and integrating it into his own personal nightmare._

This has to be a bad dream, _he told himself, retreating inwardly and suspending his disbelief in reincarnation and the power of the Planet._

_Sephiroth would never turn against him. Angeal would **never** abandon his honor. And Genesis would **never** sprout a wing or take his own life. There were **no** such things as angels. No second chances. No swordsmen and no Fallen Warlords. _

_"It's not real." he whispered as Sephiroth turned on him with a look of contempt on his face. "I don't know what this is, but it never happened. I've - had enough. Cloud, get me out of here. Cloud - "_

_" - is a traitor!" the general rambled. "He and all you weak insects lied to me and told me that my Mother was gone, that she was dead." He ignored the hopelessness and anger in Zack's eyes and raised his hand, slowly bringing it up over his head. "You imprisoned her and tried to take the Planet away from her...deceived me into thinking I was human and made me do your dirty work for you," the silver-haired man babbled on, moving his hand around in slow circular motions. "Well I know the truth now. And I won't be your puppet anymore. Miserable traitors, you will pay. Each and every one of you will -_

_"...die..." "SEPHIROTH!"_

_Zack shouted at the top of his lungs as his vision blurred and everything became foggy and hazy. The earth trembled beneath him, and for a moment it felt to Zack as though he were on a conveyor belt and being carried forward without moving. The wind beat at him, driving him back, and as he fought against it, Nibelheim began to fall apart. His body began to shake uncontrollably as he listened to glass shatter and beams topple over, hitting the out-of-focus ground with loud thuds. Horses shrieked in terror, straining against their bits and bridles, and cars blew up. Roofs caved in and Zack was horrified to hear the villagers cry out as they were crushed to death by their own houses. He staggered back as he flame - sharp, searing and painful - billowed towards him, and recoiled as a terrible stench hit him, catching him in the back of the throat. It reminded him of beef cooking in a frying pan or fatty pork sizzling on the grill, and almost caused him to retch._

_Never in his life had he imagined that he would smell people being roasted alive._

_The world sharpened and came back into focus as he threw up his hands to cover his nose and mouth and block out the disgusting smell._

_When things became clear again, Zack found himself standing in the center of Nibelheim staring dumbfoundedly at his PHS. A message from Cloud flashed across his screen, begging him to hurry back to town, and a few feet away from the now-burning water tower, lay Cloud himself - alive, but in emotional shock. A man ran up to them, shouting at them to help him check the houses and gather up the survivors, and Cloud mumbled something that sounded like, "That's Zangan. He's a friend. Sephiroth - "_

_" - did this, I know," Zack forced the words out with great difficulty. He pulled Cloud up and pushed him towards the trail. Nightmare, past-life, whatever this was, he hadto protect Cloud. "Take whoever you can find and go up the trail. You'll be safe there. I'm going to put an end to this. I'll stop Sephiroth."_

_He grabbed his sword, and then dashed off, leaving Cloud staring forlornly after him. Flames sprang at Zack as he made his way towards the water tower, lashing at him hungrily. They whipped at him with their sizzling orange-white-purple tendrils, forcing him to Barrier up and put up his status wards to protect himself. Red-hot coals bounced off his arms and face, causing him to wince in pain, and the smell of carbon monoxide made him gag. Smoke irritated his tearing-up eyes and his head ached as he surveyed the carnage around him. Rage burned in his heart as he stepped over the body of a woman who had been slashed across the chest and tripped over the remains of a man who had been cut in two, messily chopped apart at the waist. He saw a child who had been impaled through the eye as he rounded the bend and choked as his eyes fell upon a crippled lady flailing about on the path. Her intestines were spilling out of a football-sized cut in her stomach and she was screaming - dying in a puddle of blood-vomit-and-urine. When Sephiroth had killed her daughter, she had soiled herself._

_Zack turned his back on the woman, knowing there was nothing that he could do. She was too far gone for his Curaga materia to save her, and the man with the severed arms and limbs was well-past saving, as well. As was the child with the now unrecognizable, crushed in head. "Forgive me," he apologized to them. "There's nothing I can do for you. But - I can try to save your families." he promised them, head snapping up as he spotted Sephiroth in the distance - running people who tried to fight him through and cutting down people who tried to flee._

_Zack swallowed with great difficulty as Sephiroth took down a young woman, killing her and her crying baby. He watched her sink to the ground - lungs impaled, vocal cords slit - as the dead baby rolled away from her - its skull split open. The sight of the baby, lying face down in blood-spatters on the mortared pavement, pushed him over the edge. With a sorrowful glance at the three dying villagers, he prepared himself for a brutal fight. Everyone who was still alive in the town heard him scream, "Sephiroth, why are you doing this? That thing in the reactor is not your Mother! Whoever told you that is a fucking liar. Open your eyes! Don't let Hojo and Jenova manipulate you. Don't...turn into a monster."_

_Sephiroth laughed deeply at Zack and hurled a fireball at the young 1st. The wood pile in front of him caught fire as the boy came tearing after him. The general smiled malevolently like a cruel, dark god as flames geysered into the air and burning logs rained down upon the pile of bodies surrounding him. He lunged at Zack as the boy veered away from the wood pile and spun out of control, skidding to the side. His lips rolled back in a snarl as Zack rolled to the side and Draw Slash missed, shooting harmlessly over his victim's head. Zack leaped to his feet, bouncing up like a spring, and Sephiroth went on the defensive - lobbing fireballs at the fallen beams on the ground and bushes. Compost and beams went up in flame, creating an impassable barrier between the two swordsmen. Zack cried as one of the fireballs struck him in the jaw, and Sephiroth picked up his sword and started to walk slowly towards the barrier._

_"I'd hoped you would be different," the general said, looking totally at ease as he shuffled through the bloodstained dirt, "but I see I was mistaken." His reptilian eyes narrowed defiantly and shimmered with scorn as they locked onto Zack's. "Every human on this Planet deserves to die, including_ you."

_"Then kill me," Zack challenged, meeting Sephiroth's eyes and returning his unfeeling glare with forced calmness . He was on the verge of shattering and did not want the general to see the extent of his pain. Nor did he want to reveal any weakness to his former friend; Sephiroth would take whatever he could extract from him and use it to cripple him. "Take my life - the way you took that child's."_

No - your time has not yet come, melodramatic child. You will die later when Mother and I punish the rest of these insects! _Sephiroth lowered his sword and shifted his gaze towards the mountain. His eyes lit up as they fell upon the reactor, gleaming like a beacon of hope in the distance. His heart beat with pride as he felt his Mother reach out to him and gently touch his mind. Love, hope and possessiveness swelled up within him as she mentally kissed him, and whispered false promises in his ear. Destroying the rest of the village and then slaughtering his way to Rocket Town was tempting, but it would have to wait; his Mother was in pain in her prison and needed him. And she came first._

_"I will not be long, Mother," he whispered, face aglow with a mad light. "I'm coming for you. I will free you and together we will look for the Promised Land. We will find it - "_

kill everyone ...suck the Lifestream dry...

and tear the Planet apart...

_"...with the Black Materia..." Zack trembled, his calm mask crumbling as he realized that they had reached the End of the Road._

_He closed his eyes and shook his head, wondering how it had come to this._

_For a moment, he looked back, wanting to believed he still had a choice. Reason waged war with denial and emotion, and Reason, in the end won. He let out a strangled sob, knowing that unless he did something, the killing would go on and on. As long as Sephiroth lived, it would never stop. Sephiroth was lost and all that remained was a heartless mass murderer._

_With a heavy heart, he activated the materia in his sword. He put up a Wall around himself and fastened a Ribbon about his waist. He raised his sword and pointed it at Sephiroth; the general had his back turned and his guard down. If he attacked, he could end this now, and spare the villagers a big bloody fight in what remained of the town._

_"I'm-sorry," Zack mumbled, feeling something inside him die. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry. I'm so, so, sorry."_

I...don't want to do this, _he choked, as the scene changed, yet again._

_Nibelheim melted into the night and the bloodied dirt trail he was standing on hardened into thick gray floor plates. The withered weeds dying alongside the road shifted, becoming a messy mass of rusted, mako coated pipes, snaking this way and that way. And shadowy steel walls burst out of the mountainside and grew around him, forming a tall circular enclosure. Zack watched with alarm as cliffs turned to creaking catwalks, burning branches became eerie yellow electric lights, and trees became locked, maximum-security doors. He gave a startled cry as a long, diagonal metal platform erupted from the earth beneath his feet, and rocketed skyward with him on it. He clawed at it frantically and tried to wrap his legs around it as the ground dropped away, and he found himself peering down a bottomless shaft. Mad laughter thundered above him, and he looked up and saw Sephiroth gazing adoringly into a mako-tank perched precariously at the top of what could only be the Nibelheim reactor. There was a creature inside the tank and Zack stood frozen as it came into view._

_Jenova had looked repulsive and ugly in the photos he'd seen of her, but she was even more revolting in person. She was naked, interred in orange coral and rotting tubing, and had peeling blue skin stretched across her appallingly feminine rubbery frame. Her decayed, shriveled wings looked like they were ready to fall off her back at any moment, and her DD-cup sized breasts were sagging cow's utters. Whomever had been her plastic surgeon had done a terrible job. Jenova, however, appeared content with her misshapen body, for she bobbed about happily in her septic tank, and continued expelling her body fluids into the massive tube protruding from her abdomen without complaint._

_She smiled benignly at her "son," but the look she gave Zack was one of loathing._

_Her chilling cat-like eyes stared at him menacingly as he approached her prison. The eye on the left inspected him inquisitively, while the glowing red one on the right blinked at him with malice. A third eye opened lower down, popping out of one of the coral polyps dangling from her body, and Zack recoiled in disgust as it floated about, blinking at him._

_How Sephiroth could mistake this gruesome mutated woman for his Mother defied all logic. There was nothing kind or maternal about her. She was a monster. A monster who needed to die for the things she had done to the Planet and his friends._

_"Rot in hell, you bloodsucking blue bitch!" Zack cried as he charged up the platform. He thrust his sword above his head, intending to bring it down on Sephiroth, and then shove his blade into Jenova when Sephiroth came crashing through her glass tank. If he timed things right and struck from just the right angle, he could hit Mother and "son" at the same time, taking them both out with one blow. "Take all your lies and stick them up your ass. "_

Clang! _Sephiroth spun around and calmly thrust his sword upwards, easily blocking the attack._

_Zack felt the breath catch in his throat as their swords locked together and Sephiroth smiled predatorily at him; the general's speed was unnatural, and his defensive reflexes were incredible. And he did not seem the least bit ruffled that his former friend had just tried to slice his skull open. In fact - he seemed delighted that he had been challenged, for he laughed darkly, and started carrying on about how Zack's head was going to be the first of many trophies he offered to his long-lost Mother._

_"She wants to see you dead," the general babbled, blowing Zack into the ceiling with a powerful Draw Slash attack. "She despises you. You have seen the bond between us within your own eyes, and yet you continue to lie, and try to lead me astray. You say things like, 'Sephiroth, that's not your mother.' And 'don't let her deceive you.' -'"_

_"Miserable traitor, you will pay dearest of them all -" "I'm trying to help you -"_

_Zack shouted at Sephiroth as the general came flying after him, Masamune sizzling with an eerie pale-blue fire. He leaped back as Sephiroth charged him, dexterously springing onto a narrow beam overhanging the reactor. Ghostly white mist shot up around him as his feet touched the beam, and yellow-white flares shot after him, ripping into the pipes behind him. Boiling hot steam spewed out of the damaged pipes, blasting him across the back. He screamed as his neck and shoulders were scalded raw by smoke, and screamed again when Sephiroth seized him by the hair and calmly turned his head around. He began to thrash violently back and forth as the general pounded him between the ears - trying to slam his nose and mouth against the pipes and roast him in the steam. His fingers closed around long, flowing silver hair, and he gave a sharp tug, pulling Sephiroth down with him. The general groaned as he was pulled facedown into the steam, nostrils first. Zack gave his attacker a good, sharp kick in the stomach, and threw himself over the side._

_He bounced off lead pipes on the way down - bruising his arms and causing additional damage to his already severely injured shoulders. Somehow, he managed to twist about in mid-air and right himself, avoiding a head-on collision with the beams below him. He was not to escape without injury, though, and groaned as he landed stomach first on the bridge - crushing the hands he thrust out to break his fall and tearing a muscle._

_Sephiroth floated down after him as he struggled to activate the Cure materia in the Buster Sword. The general looked like a demonic angel of death as he gracefully alighted on the bridge. His silver hair billowed out unnaturally as he purposefully walked towards his prey, and his black coat rose up, flapping out behind him. His exquisite white face glistened, glowing radiantly, and his should have been raw and unrecognizable nose looked perfect and flawless as ever. The only indication that he had been pushed into 300 degree steam was the blood dripping out of his mouth, and it was hard to tell just how much blood there was, for Sephiroth kept the amount of talking that he did to a minimum. As Zack gaped at him, he took his sword and wordlessly drove it into the bridge. He chuckled menacingly as dark hell fire raced down the bridge, shattering glass and leaving hot, blackened grooves behind. Now Zack would find out, first-hand, what it was like to have one's face torn apart._

_"Shit." Zack blanched as he saw what was headed his way. He quickly activated his Magic Barrier materia and reinforced the Wall around him. He flipped his Buster blade, so that it pointed tip to bridge, thrust it out in front of him, and smashed it into the bridge. It was large enough and wide enough to act as a shield for his body; how much it would protect him, however, remained to be seen. No sooner had he ducked behind it, then Sephiroth's Shadow Flares collided with his sword._

_Black-gold flames billowed around him as he flung his weight against the Buster Sword, using it to anchor himself to the bridge. He clung to it frantically, hanging on dear life, as his feet slid out from under him and his legs buckled. Pieces of flying glass tore into him as he struggled to maintain his hold, striking his bare, unprotected arms and ripping into his hands. He gasped in agony as a three-inch long shard struck him in the shoulder. Precious, mako-rich blood ran down his chest as he tugged at it, trying to pull it out, and the world began to waver and wibble wobble around him. The combination of blood loss, emotional shock and physical shock was starting to take its toll._

_"Why, Sephiroth, why?" he asked, again and again and again. "I trusted you - you're not the Sephiroth I once knew."_

_Sephiroth scowled at him as he yanked the shard out and hurled it into the reactor's core. "The Sephiroth you once knew was a fool," the general said, in a voice full of infinite heaviness. "He believed he was a puppet and let himself be manipulated by the humans, when all this time he was the Chosen One, destined to rule over this Planet. What I want, Zack, is to take back this Planet for my Mother, and then make my way to the Promised Land. When I get there, the traitors -"_

_"NO! You've killed **enough!** I'm not going to let you kill anymore!" Zack roared, blasting his enemy in the stomach with Dark Thundaga. Sephiroth grunted as the lightning bolts fried his gut, and the young 1st went on the offensive, attacking with the most powerful moves he knew._

_He had the ability to imitate the Limit Breaks of other people, and came after Sephiroth, using Angeal's signature move: Rush Assault. Sephiroth was forced to go on the defensive as he corkscrewed over his head, landed behind him and began to assault him. Hand-to-hand combat was an art form Sephiroth had never studied in depth, and he rued it now, as Zack pummeled him with an uppercut to the jaw, stunned him with a fist to the throat, and clobbered him with back-breaking punches to the ribcage. The silver-haired man staggered as Zack drove his balled up fist into him, hard enough to stop his heart, and then unleashed a flurry of kicks to the stomach that left him winded. Zack followed up with a standing lotus kick to the chest and Sephiroth went ballistic as his lungs exploded and the boy's foot ricocheted off his clavicle. No one had ever attacked him so brutally before with Rush Assault, and he retaliated appropriately in turn - returning the favor with savage violence of his own once Zack finished performing his devastating martial arts sequence._

_He somersaulted over the Buster Sword and flung his arms around Zack's neck. Zack began to kick and flail about as Sephiroth lifted him up by his throat. The general gave his neck a painful squeeze and then tossed him into the air, throwing him headfirst over his shoulders to the ground. Zack was thrown into a monster-pod with shattering force and made an incoherent gurgling noise as several vertebral bones snapped; Sephiroth had broken his back._

_The general kicked him in the chest as he fought to lift his head, knocking him back into the shattered glass and wire strewn across the ground. Zack wailed like a wounded chocobo as the back of his skull struck the sharp point of a fallen beam, and his battered shoulders scraped against burning-hot metal. Sephiroth strode forward as he twitched about on the bridge, Masamune in his hands._

_Zack looked up as Sephiroth positioned the sword above his chest and waved mockingly at him. "What is that thing that you used to say to your little friend, Cloud, whenever the two of you said good-bye to each other?" the general drawled. "Oh yes, I remember. I believe it was 'let's mosey, Cloud.' Why don't you 'mosey' on over to the Promised Land, Zack? Your friends are already there, waiting for you, and it won't be long before your parents join you."_

_Zack merely sobbed in response, and Sephiroth decided that he was wasting his time playing with a defeated opponent. The boy had begun to bore him, so he brought his sword down, driving it through the lower part of his enemy's stomach. Zack let out a loud squawk as Masamune pierced him, and Sephiroth shrugged and figured why not repeat the procedure since it appeared to be so effective? He carefully pulled his blade out, and proceeded to rain blows upon the boy - ripping apart his thigh and shoulders, and tearing up his glass-scarred arms. He carved up his legs, slit open his temple with a hairline slice, and plunged his sword into his former friend's ribcage - stabbing him directly below the heart. Pleased with his work, he gathered up the insolent brat's materia, and hurled it down the reactor shaft. Zack had fully mastered Regen and Curaga materia in his sword and Sephiroth would be damned if he let him use it to heal himself while he was cutting his Mother out of her prison._

_"I hope Angeal's cure materia did not carry any personal value to you," Sephiroth purred as Zack futilely attempted to stop his bleeding. "You'll be dead soon and it will do you no good in the afterlife. They don't use materia in the Promised Land, Zack."_

_This time, Zack forced himself to reply. "I'd rather die and go to the Promised Land than live on a Planet ruled by you," the boy spat, before slumping over in a state of semi-consciousness._

_"Hmph. If you say so." Sephiroth shrugged and turned away, no longer interested in Zack._

_He hurried down the bridge and began to climb the platform. His steps were slow, reverent and carefully measured as he approached Jenova's prison. A look of rapture spread across his face as he held up his arms towards her, reaching for him, and his eyes lit up with mad adoration as she leaned forward in her tank to give him her blessing. His heart accelerated with exhilaration as she bent down to kiss him through the glass and began to whisper instructions in his ear. He lovingly pressed his cheek against the tank as she described how they would explore the cosmos, seeking out new worlds to destroy, with the dead Planet as their vessel and him at her side. Masamune slipped through his fingers, sliding carelessly to his floor, as he let down his guard and gave her his unconditional trust and devotion. He was about to drain the tank when..._

_...Jenova let out a loud, anguished screech..._

_...and blood splattered across the bridge and front of his coat._

_Black and silver eyelashes fluttered simultaneously as Jenova's cries got both 1st's attention. Zack looked up the stairs and saw Sephiroth slouched against the tank, clutching his stomach in pain. And Sephiroth looked down and saw...Cloud Strife, standing on the platform, holding Zack's sword._

_It took a moment for Sephiroth to register that there was blood on the sword, and the blood belonged to him. And it took Zack even longer to register that_ Cloud _had run the general through, when he and all the other five thousand people working for Shinra had talked themselves into believing that Sephiroth would die in Wutai. Or be brought down by something ultra-powerful, like a Dragon Zombie. An_ unenhanced cadet _gutting the general like a fish was_ insane _\- unthinkable - impossible - stuff of dreams material. And yet...there was no denying what Cloud had just done with Sephiroth slouched against the tank - Jenova throwing herself against the tank in rage - and the feeling of death in the air._

_"You did good, Spike," Angeal's incredulous apprentice whispered, as Cloud came thundering down the platform. "You saved Nibelheim - you saved the town - I'm so proud of you. You are a hero."_

_Cloud dropped to his knees beside him. Zack forced himself to come back to life as the blond pried his fingers open and put a Regen materia in his hand. It would take much more than Regen to heal his broken body, but the weak cure materia would keep him alive for several more hours. And maybe in those hours, he thought, they would be able to get a hold of some Full Cure materia, destroy the screaming abomination at the top of the stairs and find someone crazy enough to drive them all the way to Gongaga. They would want to put as much distance as possible between themselves and Nibelheim before the dawn came. Once word got out that they had seen Jenova and taken out Sephiroth, the army and the Turks would be after them, and Hojo would be begging President Shinra to let him devise some cruel punishment for them. Capture would end with his execution and -_

\- Spike spending a lifetime in the lab! Hojo will want to know how he was able to kill Sephiroth! _Zack clung to Cloud's arm as the infantryman started to get up, suddenly afraid that he would never see him again if he let him leave the room and walk beyond the reactor doors. He fought through his pain and pulled Cloud down, weeping into his shoulders as he revisited the terrors of the night in his head. Cloud's fingers snaked around his trembling ones as he once again bore witness to_...Genesis jumping into the pit... ...robots gunning his friends down... _and_ people being burned to death in the fire.

_"Don't go," he begged Cloud, voice fading as physical and emotional exhaustion took him over. "Stay here. There are video cameras everywhere. If you leave this room, the people at the mansion'll see you, and they'll know that we're in the reactor. They'll come up here with their guns, and you - you - "_

_"I'll be fine," Cloud reassured him. He pulled away, taking care not to aggravate Zack's back in the process. "I'll be careful - I promise - I won't let anyone see me. I want to stay here, but I have to go. Tifa was badly hurt by Sephiroth. If I don't help her, she could die."_

_Zack gave his buddy the thumbs up sign, understanding that he was needed elsewhere. There were somethings you didn't argue about, and a pretty girl in distress was one of them. "Go," he whispered, suppressing a sob. "Help Tifa and take back your Regen materia." He opened his hand and with the last of his strength, somehow managed to shove the precious materia orb towards Cloud's feet. "She's unenhanced, right? She'll need it, then, more than I will."_

_Cloud reluctantly picked up the Regen materia. He had intended to leave it with Zack and use something else to heal Tifa. "Thank you, Zack," he said. "This may make a difference. I - don't know how much damage he did to her. There's blood everywhere."_

You don't need to be - when you can give people - hope _. Zack stopped crying and lifted his head as his Spiky haired companion started to walk towards the stairs leading to the other room. Cloud was glowing faintly as he glided down the stairs, shining like a vessel that is slowly filling with light. He looked strong, unassailable and ready to take on the world as he stopped in the doorway and paused, lingering there for a moment. Warmth and wisdom radiated from him, numbing Zack's horror and temporarily setting him at ease. A feeling of peace came over the crippled 1st as Cloud began to change, becoming everything that Sephiroth could have been and everything about Angeal people had loved. Love, compassion, courage and pride flowed from him into Zack as he lit up the reactor like a beacon of hope._

 _The light around Cloud swelled as he gave Zack the strength to face the terrifying memories that he had fled from. Zack uttered a startled cry as he started to remember things that he had seen when he had watched over Cloud from the Lifestream. He sniffled softly he saw_ _kids being loaded onto a truck by a boy who bore a scary resemblance to Sephiroth... Genesis -_ no way- _angrily shouting at Cloud ... and Rufus Shinra go plummeting off a building. Illusionary Deepground soldiers, mako-spawned abominations and WRO troopers paraded past him, and Zack gazed at them dumbly, not knowing what to think._

_His vision sharpened as he started to become whole. Things that had previously been hidden and unseen were revealed to him, sending him into a state of confusion. He gasped in amazement as Cloud shimmered before his eyes, and an astonishing, incorporeal transformation occurred. His jaw dropped open as a translucent, sleeveless blue sweater materialized over the blond's ratty-looking grunt-uniform and a long, flowing black sleeve coalesced about his arm. A ghostly leather pauldron with silver accents formed around the cheap army-issued shoulder guards Cloud was wearing, and black gloves snaked up the infantryman's arms. An elaborate looking weapons harness warped around Cloud's body, and Zack blinked as his young friend became taller, leaner and more muscular. He could have sworn that Cloud had just grown older as well._

_Brave, battle-hardened blue eyes smiled down at him from the doorway, promising him that no harm would befall them. They were filled with power and conviction, and Zack quieted - wanting to believe Cloud. He laid back on the bridge, marveling at the man Cloud was turning into. He took solace in knowing that his shy, self-conscious friend was coming into his own, and Cloud chose this moment to make a getaway._

_He slipped into the other room, unaware that he had changed forever in the eyes of Zack. He returned carrying Tifa and stretched her out on the bridge, where the surface was flat._

_Cloud knelt beside her, doing his best to calm her down; she was covered with blood and looked deeply traumatized. Sephiroth had killed her father and slashed her across the shoulders and chest when she had followed him to the reactor. "Cloud, you came for me - just like you said you would." she sobbed. "You - kept your promise to me. You came for me when I was in a pinch."_

_"I'm sorry it took me so long to get here," he said, activating the restoration materia in his hand. He positioned Tifa so she sat up against his chest and held her closely. The girl shrank back as he nervously threaded his fingers through her hair, unused to giving comfort. She shuddered as he brushed his hands across her forehead and buried her face in his ugly yellow army kerchief._

_Cloud looked flustered as she tugged on the scarf and cried for her parents. He had no idea how to go about telling her her father was dead, and she was now an orphan. For a moment, he entertained the idea of taking her with him when he left Nibelheim._

_The Buster Sword jutting out of the bridge with blood on it reminded him that following through with such a plan would be dangerous and impractical. With his career in shambles, he had no means of supporting her and himself, and with no military training, she would constantly be in danger. She would be the first person in their party to die if they got into a shootout with the Turks, and, he told himself, she would waste her potential if she spent the rest of her life with a loser like him. A sweet and talented girl like Tifa deserved the chance to train with the best to become a famous martial artist._

I'll make sure the people at the dojo know where to find you, _he promised her._ Zangan's a good guy and'll look out for you.

_Tifa blew her nose on his scarf, and Cloud shifted his gaze from her to Zack. The black-haired man was staring glassy-eyedly at his ugly blue uniform and tattered brown military boots, and looked like he was on the verge of going mental. "Are you okay? You're looking at me like you don't know me!" the young infantryman exclaimed, unable to see what Zack saw; in his mind, he was still plain-old, weak Cloud, who had failed his family and failed his friends. "Don't you know who I am?"_

_Zack's breathing quickened and his eyes swept over Cloud unsteadily. He started to say, "Of course, I know you. You're Spike -" but the words choked in his throat as he thought about what the Ancient had told him back at the Church. Confusion and awe began to accumulate inside him as he realized that socially awkward, unenhanced Cloud had been chosen to play the part of the Warrior and was going to save the Planet._

_Awe turned to disgust as he replayed what the Cetra-girl had said about reincarnation in his head. He felt fire burn inside his veins as he wondered why she was having him go through this terrible ordeal. He felt like he had learned nothing about himself, other than the fact that he was a disturbed person who had crazy hallucinations about his friends re-enacting the story of the warrior and the Warlord. And he found it astonishing that she expected him to believe that anything that happened to him in this bullshit memory-world was a reflection of what had happened to him in his past life. Perhaps all of those deeply spiritual Cetra beliefs had gone to her head and driven her a little bit crazy?_

Hot, drop-dead gorgeous and not quite there! Damn, what a combination! _he thought, hoping that the real Cloud could see that Aeris was a bit unstable. They had wasted a considerable amount of time with her reincarnation crap, and he did not want to deal with shit like this again._

 _He stretched out a hand towards Dream-Cloud, who was looking more and more concerned with every passing moment. "Don't worry about me," he soothed. "I know you who you are, Spike I never forget the face of a friend; you're my best bud. You're - "_ \- the warrior who took out the Warlord. An epic hero like Baldr, who gave the world light and joy.

 _And both the warrior and Baldr, Zack recalled, had been betrayed by people they idolized and suffered immensely. One had been shot to death with an arrow by his own brother. And the other had been ripped apart by the Warlord, who -_ OH GOD!

_Dread set in as he remembered what happened next in Aeris' story. Zack paled and attempted to peer around Tifa, who was blocking his view of Jenova and her tank. Despair and hopelessness coursed through him as he got a glimpse of the alien bitch's now headless corpse gruesomely standing guard over them. The sound of heavy booted feet stomping across glass on the bridge reinforced his fears, and a moment later, those fears became real, as the dark unlight that Sephiroth brought with him spilled, like moonlight, across the very spot where they were resting. Zack began to whimper as Sephiroth rose up over them like a dark bird of prey - his features obscured by shadow. His whimpers turned to hysterical sobs when he saw Jenova's severed head tucked under the general's arm and Masamune in the man's hand._

_Out of his peripheral vision, he caught Cloud sitting against the wall with Tifa. Cloud was dabbing her eyes and looked overwhelmed and frightened, trying to offer her hope and courage. The heroic image of strength and power Zack had created of Cloud in his mind melted away as the awkwardness of the sight in the corner jarred him back to reality. The sorry sight served as a painful reminder that Cloud had not yet come full-circle in his journey to become a hero; the way he was now, he was no match for Sephiroth. If they got into a fight, inexperience and out-of-control emotions would be his downfall. Sephiroth would beat him down and then make him pay dearly for what he had done to him. Cloud would end up being tortured to death, of that he had no doubt._

_"Run, Spike," Zack choked. "Take Tifa and get outta here. You're no match for him. Go, before it's too late."_

_Cloud shot up as the sound of approaching footsteps grew louder. To Zack's horror, he picked up the Buster Sword and stood defiantly in the middle of the stairs, daring Sephiroth to attack him. Crazed green eyes met heartbroken blue ones as Sephiroth thrust his head through the doorway. Zack's stomach turned as Sephiroth sized up his foe with cold, cruel cunning, and mockingly pointed his sword at Tifa - indicating that she would be the first to go if he got passed them. Cloud shook his head vigorously as the general started to walk down the stairs and hissed something that sounded like, "No. Don't hurt her. I'm the one you want. I stabbed you in the back! Come and kill me if you have the strength left, you sick bastard. "_

_The general smirked sadistically at Cloud's garbled-sounding threats and lowered Masamune. "As the invalid at your feet would say, 'Ladies first.'"_

_Sephiroth redirected his attention back to the girl and Cloud leapt into action. He raced up the stairs swinging his sword bellowing, and when they were inches apart, launched himself at Sephiroth. Zack screamed as Sephiroth calmly thrust his weapon upwards and caught Cloud, mid-jump. Tears burned his eyes as Cloud was lifted off the ground, hanging from Sephiroth's sword. Reason fled from Zack as Sephiroth violently jerked his sword out of Cloud's body and let the critically injured boy drop onto the bridge. The young 1st cried out to his friends, beseeching them to pull him out of the memory-world, as Sephiroth stabbed Cloud with Masamune one more time for good measure._

_"Please, make this stop," he pleaded. "Please get me outta here. I can't take anymore of this make-believe shit. I don't - want to see anyone's personality get twisted, and I don't want to see my friends get fucked. Please. Please. Please?"_

_He repeated his plea, over and over again, as Sephiroth walked towards the edge of the bridge. Sephiroth swung his sword over the reactor with Cloud, once again, hanging from it. The general's voice oozed with contempt as Cloud flailed about, going into what looked to Zack like death throes. "You pathetic humans tried to deprive a son of his Mother, and a Mother of her son," Sephiroth raged. "Give me permission, Mother, to deprive Mrs. Strife of her brat. I want to kill this child before I kill the others."_

_Cloud's eyes snapped open at his words. " My mother is dead ," the boy hissed, placing his hands on the blade impaling him. "You killed her. She was one of the first people who died when you went on your killing spree, and I will never forgive you for what you've done." _

_Zack closed his eyes as Cloud drove Masamune through his ribcage, pushing it deeper into his body in order to pull himself nearer to Sephiroth. Masamune burst through his chest and came out the other side, shooting out just below his shoulder blades. Somehow, Cloud managed to lean back, using the three feet of sword that had passed through him as a lever to thrust the remaining four feet of sword, sticking out of the front of him, above his head. The elaborately braided hilt of the heavy, ornate odachi was painfully raised into the air, and Sephiroth, standing there frozen with his hands tightly wrapped around the sword, was pulled up as well. It was not long before both general and sword were looking down at Cloud._

_Sephiroth could have easily saved himself, at this point, but for some reason, he refused to react. Instead of letting go and dropping down to the bridge, he chose to cling to the hilt of his sword, and dangle precariously above the reactor. He looked like a scared kitten hanging on to dear life from a tree branch as Cloud inched towards the end of the platform, and he kept shaking his head and murmuring, "No - no - impossible. You are one of those pathetic little humans. Why would the Planet choose you to be her Guardian? I thought that she wanted me to be her Protector. How can this be? Even the Planet has betrayed us - Mother."_

_"No, you're wrong." Cloud gasped for breath as his legs buckled under the weight of the immense load he was carrying. "The Planet was never on your side, and you are not her Protector. You're nothing but a coldhearted monster. Now rot and die, you twisted bastard."_

_The entire reactor echoed with his screams as he ripped Masamune from his body. Shock shot down his arms as he swung with all his might, hurling the sword away from him. General and sword vanished over the side, and a few seconds later, Cloud heard a loud popping sound. He presumed it was Sephiroth's neck snapping in two as he sank to his knees on the bridge - too far gone and too far gone to spent to creep to the edge to watch his enemy drown in the reactor. With the last of his strength, he dragged himself to the doorway, crawling painfully through broken glass and debris; he collapsed on the stairs just a few feet short of Tifa, and mere inches away from Zack. The last thing he saw was Zack reaching for him before darkness claimed him._

_"Spike, you did it!" Zack brushed his fingers across Cloud's face. "You saved Tifa. You protected the girl. She's gonna be okay. "_

And we're gonna end up in fucking prison if this frightmare doesn't end soon, _he thought with bitterness._

_His blood-stained lips thinned into a smile that was filled with sorrow as the lights in the reactor came on one by one. As alarms rang shrilly around them and security cameras fixed their lenses on him, he stared up at the ceiling, trying to imagine what it would be like to be tortured and experimented on. Surely, he reassured himself, it couldn't be any worse than what was happening to him now in the reactor. "'The comforting part about being tortured, is that it is impersonal. They can tear open your stomach and rip out your liver, but they can't tear out your heart; words of wisdom to remember if you ever find yourself interrogated by the enemy, Puppy.'" he brokenly murmured, reciting advice that Genesis, of all people, had given him._

Thanks for the advice, Genesis. I won't forget it, _he promised, lifting a hand to shield himself from the Darkness; it had returned in full force and was once again making its way towards them._

_Zack resigned himself to the inevitable as the Lifestream spirited him away to the science labs. He glared into the shadows as the bridge he was lying on turned to concrete, the pipes on the wall became bookcases, and the platform the alien-bitch was sitting on turned into a steel operating table. A scalpel and sharp surgical tools lined themselves up on the tray, beside the table, and Zack was certain that he saw needles as well. Translucent septic tank walls crystallized around him as his vision turned green and everything became vaccuumless. Mako bubbles drifted about him, lazily making their way towards the ceiling, and Zack was surprised to find himself standing upright in his prison and feeling light and buoyant. With trepidation, he moved his arms and rolled his shoulders._

_To his astonishment, everything was good as new. His arms and shoulders felt better than they had ever felt before, and there were no scars or burn marks on them. It was as if the fight with Sephiroth had never taken place. The man whom had patched him up had done a damn fine job performing very difficult burn treatment-surgery, and **that** spelled trouble with a capital T. There was only one doctor in Shinra Corp who had an interest in burn treatment and skin grafts, and his name was spelled **H-O-J-O.**_

_"What do you plan on doing with us, you evil freak?" Zack roared, sluggishly slapping his hand against the walls of his tank. "Are you gonna experiment on us the way you experimented on Angeal and Sephiroth?"_

_As if on cue, Hojo stepped into the room. Cloud materialized on the operating table beside him, comatose and naked, and Hojo cheerfully went over to him and ripped off the drape covering his body. The happy doctor sat down and began to mark where he wanted to make incisions. Zack's wits deserted him as he ran his hands along his patient's hideously scarred shoulders and gushed about the procedures he planned on performing on Cloud._

_"Sunday, we will test his reactions to cold," the Professor trilled, "and see how long he can last before hypothermia sets in. You are to monitor him while he sits in the ice-tank and make certain that he doesn't freeze to death or drown, Doctor. After the experiment is over, I want you to take him and prepare him for a comprehensive internal examination. I must learn how Specimen C was able to defeat our general and find out why there have been no groundbreaking developments. I've given him enough injections to recreate Sephiroth."_

_The resident scientist who accompanied him everywhere studiously scribbled down his instructions. "What do you want me to do about feeding him?" he asked. "Do you want me to leave him on the IV or take his food away again? Starving him doesn't appear to be improving his friend's bad attitude."_

_Hojo yanked the IV line out of Cloud's arm and kicked the stand holding the drip away. "Keep him off it for the next forty-eight hours," he barked, "and don't put it back in, unless Specimen Z has a change of heart. Perhaps watching Specimen C dehydrate will make Specimen Z more cooperative. I doubt Specimen Z wants to watch his friend experience multiple organ failure?" He lowered his glasses and squinted at Zack's tank. "Thought not," he triumphantly said. "Do you promise to behave and let me take bone marrow and blood samples later on? I need them - you are the gift to the future."_

_Zack numbly signaled 'yes' with his eyes and slouched inside his tank. The sedatives being pumped intravenously into him made breaking out of the prison and coming to Cloud's aid impossible, and Hojo had now picked up the scalpel and started to make cuts along his friend's back. All it would take would be one quick cut across the throat to end Cloud's life. Best, Zack decided through shuddering sobs, constricting heart and rising nausea, not to do anything to agitate Hojo while Cloud was on the operating table._

_But oh god, watching the resident scientist shove a tube through down Cloud's throat was infuriating, and seeing Hojo take his instruments and start to_ skin _Cloud was torture. And listening to the Professor ask him, in a sing-songy voice, if he knew what they were going to do to Cloud was insufferable. "Why do you think I'm doing this?" Hojo inquired. "Would you like to know?"_

_The look on Zack's face said, no, he didn't want to know. The Professor told him anyway._

_Hojo gestured proudly to a crystal tube sitting in the corner. It stood around ten feet tall and was filled to the brim with foul, mako-laced water. A rubber-life support line floated about inside the peculiar container and metal restraints permanently welded to the tube shimmered menacingly as Hojo ran his fingers down the glass. "When Sephiroth was twelve," the Professor sighed, "I used to perform experiments on him in this chamber. We ran tests on him to gauge his ability to recover from shallow water blackouts and oxygen toxicity. He did not react to the tests well. Once, he fell sick for days. He was a most disappointing performer and fell short of my expectations. I had such high hopes for him."_

_"H-how does this relate to Cloud?" Zack dared to ask. "Cloud is not Sephiroth!"._

_Hojo came over to his tank, ripped off his surgical mask, looked him directly in the eye. "No, he's not. But if I run the same experiments on Cloud that I ran on Sephiroth," the Professor explained, "it will help me understand where I went wrong and avoid repeating those mistakes. My goal is to create a super SOLDIER who can do everything; Sephiroth let me down and failed to become the god he should have been. He was limitedly talented. He had superior strength, speed and magic resistance, but he couldn't fly like the others or survive underwater. And he wasn't able to make clones. Life would have been so much simpler for me if he had been able to be copied. It would have saved the company several million gil and spared me a lot of aggravation; I do not like working with peons who are not already up and running. It causes everyone so much pain."_

_"Of course," Zack could not resist saying. "It inconveniences you and your assistant. It wastes your time having to start from scratch."_

_Hojo smiled arrogantly. "Yes, it does," he told Zack. "There are better ways to occupy a brilliant mind. Working with undeveloped insects, though, can be interesting. Thanks to your little friend, I have learned a few things about mako poisoning. And I've discovered ways to improve my Jenova treatments."_

What do you mean! _Zack gave Hojo a scathing look and the Professor scurried back to the operating table - eager to show off his demented genius. The mad scientist cackled as he hovered over the unconscious infantryman and made a big presentation out of putting his mask back on and donning a fresh pair of surgical gloves. Zack breathed deeply, trying to quell the cacophony of mad-horror building to a crescendo within him, as Hojo took his time sliding his long, white fingers into the gloves. Doctor Douche playfully flexed his fingers as he shimmied into his gloves and let the latex snap against his hands, savoring the effect that he was having on Zack; he knew that each snap sounded like a slap to someone with enhanced hearing, so he did his best to make each snap sharp and loud. He also made sure to bang his scalpel against the operating table and make a fuss about needing his cutting tools._

_"We're going to be sawing into his back and doing major reconstructive work on his spine," the oily man took great pleasure in announcing to all parties in the room._

_"Professor," the resident scientist sounded taken aback, "if we do that, it could cause permanent paralysis."_

_Hojo scowled at his assistant. "I do not care if he ends up paralyzed at this point. In fact, I'm rather hoping he dies under the knife," he said. "He's never going to be any use to the company and he's never going to recover, for the rest of his life, he's going to be nothing but a_ vegetable, _and you know how much I hate human-vegetables. Waste of money keeping them alive and paying people to look after them, if you ask me."_

_The resident scientist agreed wholeheartedly with that statement and resumed his table-side duties with renewed enthusiasm. He plopped down beside Hojo and began to eagerly absorb everything that his mentor had to show him. "Are we going to operate on this part?" he asked at length, pointing to something misshapen, leathery and stubby protruding from the incision the Professor had made over the teres major muscles. "It would be an opportunity for you to study what has eluded you if you were to amputate it, and removing it would not render the specimen useless to the company."_

_Hojo picked up a tool that resembled a pair of tweezers and poked at the protrusion. After a moment of thought he said, "Yes, let's amputate. As you just now pointed out to me, I never got the chance to study Hollander's failed creations. And I am curious to see whether this army brat's body parts will regenerate after they have been amputated. If my hypothesis turns out to be correct and they do, then I will need you to assist me with a few more operations. The next step would be causing neural and muscular trauma and seeing how he recovers from that._

_"It's a waste of breath, however, to talk about that now; enough talk, let's begin." commanded the Professor._

_Hojo reached across the table for a tool to stretch Cloud's muscle, and everything mercifully_ \- _thank_ god - thank god - thank god - _came to a halt before he could proceed with his terrible operation._

_Zack uttered a cry of desperation as Hojo froze, mid-cut, and the Lifestream enveloped him. He sobbed tears of joy as the ugly cement walls of the science lab fell away, and quaint, but dilapidated, wooden walls snapped up around him. The electronic restraints used to shock him disintegrated as the ceiling opened up to reveal sprawling orange skies, snow-covered mountain peaks and pink-white clouds floating languorously by. The mako tube imprisoning him evaporated, and heated air billowed through the vents and rippled around him, warming his numb muscles. Water dripped down and splashed across Zack's face, rejuvenating him and washing away the signs of his illness and distress, as hoses, moldy tubs and terra-cotta floors solidified around him. Cloud, Hojo and the toolish assistant faded, and with them, went the loud hum of the reactor. A short training sword appeared at his feet as the noise vanished, and Zack was astonished to see that it was the weapon he had been issued when he had first joined the mentorship program. Feeling like he'd been skewered, Zack cautiously approached his old sword._

_Big strong arms caught him and closed around him as he bent down to reclaim his blade._

_Zack spun around, sobbing with joy and relief as familiar gloved hands came to rest on his shoulders. He flung himself against the older man's chest and wept, burying his face in his mentor's sleeveless sweatshirt. His body shook as he clung to him like a frightened animal, and his voice was saturated with anguish and full of regret. "I'm sorry that I said those things to you in Banora," he whispered as Angeal rocked him gently. "And I'm sorry that I walked away from you and stayed with Shinra. I should have gone with you; Shinra is nothing but a den of monsters. I - could - have helped you stop Genesis from harming people and I could've helped you find a place to stay. My parents have a house in Gongaga and would've let you stay with them, and when you get the chance, you should take samples from me and find someone to study them; there's something special about me I think. Maybe I can stop your degradation. Hojo ran tests on me and said my blood could change the future; he wouldn't have said that unless he thought - please, take me up on this. It's worth a try, don't you think?"_

_Angeal drew back, pushing his young apprentice away. Zack's eyes filled with hurt and confusion as he thrust the Buster Sword between them, placing himself beyond reach. "I don't understand," the boy said, shaking. "I offered to help you. What did I do wrong?"_

_Angeal gave Zack a sad smile and walked over to the big, gaping hole in the wall behind them. He fixed his eyes upon the sun, sinking beneath the horizon, and quietly said, "It's not you. It's_ me. _I've hurt yet another person I care about by looking the other way; everyone who I get close to ends up paying the price. I allowed Shinra to experiment on you by not confronting Hojo and making it clear to him that you were off limits. I let you down by intervening when Genesis was attacking headquarters and going after Hojo; I should have let him kill Hojo. I should have knocked you out when you refused to come with me. It would have been better for you to wake up and find yourself with a monster than wake up and find yourself in the science lab; I assume you didn't consent to be experimented on?"_

_The pained look Zack gave him confirmed his fears._

_"When did he experiment on you? Where did it happen?" Angeal demanded. "Tell me, I need to know. I've been keeping track of where the company's been sending you. How could he have gotten his hands on you when I've been watching over you?"_

_Zack wished he'd never mentioned Hojo. "It was in Nibelheim. He has a lab there, and Cloud and I got sent there to investigate the town," he replied, explanation ending with a gasp as his eyes fell upon a puddle. His jaw dropped open as he found himself staring at his_ teenage _self. "Hojo was there and snatched us up. He ran a few experiments on us and did a bunch of other things I don't really want to talk about it," he stammered, shivering with the weight of the knowledge that he had gone back in time to re-experience an event, pre-Nibelheim. "I know you want to know about us getting cut up, but -"_

I - I - can't talk about something that hasn't happened yet. You wouldn't understand all my crazy-sounding talk and would end up thinking Hojo'd driven me insane and feeling like shit. So _..."Please, don't ask," he said. "I don't want you to blame yourself for what's happened to me. You've been hurt really bad by Hojo and Hollander. I don't want to be the next person to hurt you. Can you understand?"_

_"Yes, Zack, I understand." Angeal retreated inwardly at his words, and Zack realized that he had made a huge mistake; by withholding information, he had just increased the horror of what had happened to him tenfold in Angeal's mind. "You don't have to tell me what they did to you, because I've experienced first-hand what they do to people. I've watched Hojo perform experiments on Sephiroth, let Hollander experiment on me and helped him hold Genesis down while he was operating on him. I'm quite familiar with the things they do to abominations like us."_

_Zack walked up to his mentor, shaking his fist and bristling with rage._ How dare you call yourself a monster, he wanted to shout. How dare you call yourself an abomination. You're not a freak. You're a SOLDIER!" _C'mon, don't be like this," he sputtered. "How the hell can you think of yourself as a monster, sheesh. You're the_ nicest _person_ _in the world. You care about people and you try to protect them. Monsters don't do that. They hurt people and all they ever think about is themselves. You don't think like that and you have never caused anyone any suffering."_

_"No - you're wrong. I have caused suffering! I hurt the person I love the most!" Angeal murmured, face crumpling in sorrow as Zack's words caused his mind to flash back to the day his mother had killed himself. His eyes widened with horror as he remembered how he had stood at the window, obliviously stirring the soup, while she had greedily guzzled the rat poison **he** had brought home. Had he been less absorbed in his own pain, he would have realized what was going on, and been able to stop her; of that, he had no doubt. As his gifted apprentice reached for him, he shrank back, wishing he could make the boy understand that he had caused her suffering - his suffering - and Genesis' suffering through his inaction and obliviousness to other peoples' pain. _

_"I destroyed her by only thinking about myself, and I destroyed Genesis by being selfish. I should have done something when he started to talk about ending it, but - I didn't - because I didn't want to feel guilty if I couldn't talk him out of killing himself. I just sat on the rafters, like a good little monster, wanting to keep my peace of mind."_

_"Oh my god, you're not a monster," Zack snapped, seizing Angeal by the wrist. "Monsters go_ out of their way _to hurt people, because they_ enjoy _causing pain and suffering. You have never gone out of your way to harm anyone and feeling frightened when someone is having crazy suicidal thoughts makes you_ human. _A monster would have run down there, without thinking about what was good for Genesis, and tried to play god with his life. Repeat after me: 'I am not a monster. I am a human being. I am a hero. I have dreams, pride and honor.'"_

_Angeal slumped in his arms. "My dream was to make my mother proud," he said. "I wanted her to live to a ripe old age and die in her sleep, proud of her son. And I wanted to pass my knowledge and values down to you and have you become my living legacy; that's not happening either now. All I've done for you is give you grief and suffering. You would have been better off if you'd had been assigned to Jenkins instead of me; Jenkins is a good man and he would have made you a great SOLDIER. He would have made you amazing."_

No, you're wrong. Jenkins isn't all he's hyped up to be _, Zack almost blurted out._

_Instead, he let go and picked up the Buster Sword. Angeal had told him once that whenever he felt despair, looking at the Buster Sword reminded him that he had hopes and dreams, so he held it out to him, praying that it would give his mentor the courage he needed to pull himself out of the funk he was in. If it did not work, Zack did not know what else he could do to convince the once-proud SOLDIER that he was blameless; they had been going around in circles for so long, that he had run out of things to say. "You - left your weapon in the corner," he stammered, fighting back the feeling of futility building up inside his gut. "You should take it. Leaving it over by the pipes'll bring about wear and rust, and you're gonna need the Buster Sword to be in good condition for all the fighting we're going to do. You and I are going to tear this place apart, hunt Hollander down, and force him to come up with a cure for you. And after that, I'm going to make that little prick -"_

_"'Prick' eh? 'That little prick' made Angeal everything that he is today," a gruff voice angrily butted in. "My research gave birth to him and Genesis, and I would appreciate it if you would treat me with a little more respect. It's rude to call someone whom you barely know such vulgar names."_

Yeah, it sure is! But you've earned it, you twisted bastard. _Zack whipped around as Hollander slithered into the room. The grizzled scientist had the nerve to look hurt and wounded as he held up his hands to them, trying to make himself seem soft and apologetic. It was an act that Zack had seen a million times before when dealing with defensive sales associates, and it made him wonder what the fuck Hollander was thinking. Everyone was always talking about what a brilliant, former psychologist Hollander was, and here the man was resorting to cheap customer-retention tricks; wow, genius! Well, he sure as hell wasn't fooled._

 _Zack held his sword out threateningly at Hollander as the man circled them. "You - will - never get any respect from me after the things you've done. You made someone I care about terminally ill, and that is_ unforgivable," _he spat, thrusting his arm out to shield Angeal and block his view as the grey-haired little man shuffled towards them; no good would come from his mentor seeing false paternalism and concern ooze out of the scientist's face. Angeal looked like he was on the verge of losing it, and Zack had no doubt that he would shatter and fall to pieces if Hollander destroyed what little self-pride he had left. Having Hollander disillusion him about his family would be the final straw. "If you come one step closer," the livid boy hissed, "I will kill you, and find someone else to come up with a cure. I want you to shut that slimy mouth of yours and get outta here. One. Two -"_

_"Calm down."_

_"Three, four, here I come. "_

_Point taken. Hollander got the message and decided it would be best to put some distance between himself and Zack. He retreated to the door, but he didn't throw up his arms and go fleeing in terror like Zack wanted him to do. With Genesis dead, he had only one chance left to get revenge against the science department, and he was determined not to let it slip through his fingers. If Zack pulled his Tool back from the brink of insanity, Hojo would never know what it was like to experience pain and humiliation. "My poor boy," he said, in his kindest, most relatable voice, "why do you cower behind the child and let him fight your battles? Don't you know that you have the strength to win any fight in the world? The G-cells in your body make you strong and powerful, and an Ancient herself has passed down her power to you. You have inherited traits from Jenova and can fly - come back from death - absorb genetic traits and pass them along to others. You make the perfect weapon."_

_"Perfect weapon, perfect monster, I feel blessed," Angeal replied, in a voice that sounded heavy and deflated. "Thank you, Father, 'for making me what I am today,'" he added, turning his back on Hollander._

_He stuck his head through the hole in the wall and looked down. Infantrymen and Turks were gathering outside the bath house, and they were armed to the teeth with rocket launchers and high-powered assault rifles. Tseng had recovered from the beating he'd given him and was sitting under a tree, loading his pistol. The Strife boy was beside the head-Turk, receiving medical attention, and long pieces of black plastic were being laid out around them. Each piece of plastic had a zipper running down the center and handles on the sides, and one of the infantrymen was setting up some kind of signaling device. Reinforcements, it appeared, were on the way to help Tseng finish his mission._

_"One rogue experiment down, one to go," Angeal murmured. "If you had to choose between spending the rest of your life in a science lab or on the run, killing people to survive... what would you pick, Zack? Would you choose to become the weapon, who is used to destroy lives, or the monster who torments people and is a blight upon the land?"_

_Zack motioned to the courtyard below. "I - I don't understand, why it has to be either or," the boy softly said, digging his fingers into the mortar. "There've gotta be other options. There are places you can go where they'd never be able to find you - caves and islands and stuff. And you'd have me with you and I'd be able to help you. They wouldn't dare come after the both of us, and I'm a farmer boy and know all about living off the land. Growing wheat and vegetables in a swamp or jungle? No problem. Taming wild chocobos? Look right here. Capturing game animals? I'm your man. I can do everything!"_

_"Except face reality," Hollander snidely said. "You know, in your heart, that they will hunt him to the ends of the earth until they find him, and that you running off with him won't deter them. All you will do, if you try to protect him, is get yourself killed. They will gladly gun you down; everyone down there wants you dead. Ever since you failed your mission in Banora, you have been extremely unpopular. Instead of going on the run, I suggest you and Angeal fight your way out of here and kill as many infantrymen and Turks as you can; take out Tseng and blow-up his reinforcements. This situation is going to end tragically for you, regardless of what you do. Why not avenge yourselves before you surrender to the inevitable?"_

_Zack sent Hollander a murderous glare. He found it hard to believe the people down there wanted to kill him. Tseng would have blown his brains out on the chopper ride over, if he'd wanted him dead, and Cloud would have tipped him off if the President had given the army orders to shoot him._ You must think we're really stupid, _he thought, eyes lighting up as Hollander babbled on about striking fear into the heart of SOLDIER,_ And you must think that you're reaaal clever. _"Did you forget what I said about shutting that slimy mouth of yours?" he exclaimed. "If you don't shut the fuck up, I will cut out your tongue and give it to Hojo when we get shipped back to the science lab. I bet it'd look real good on display with all the other pickled body parts."_

_Hollander squeaked and clamped his hands over his mouth, and Zack turned back to Angeal. The older man was still at the window, and he looked like he barely had the strength left to stand on his own two feet. Hollander had killed yet another part of his spirit, and his eyes were filled with bleak, bitter horror. He was shaking like a leaf, fighting against the wind, and suddenly seemed ancient and helpless. It looked as though he wanted to cry, but did not know how to, and when he spoke at last, his voice sounded confused and flat._

_"Zack," he strained through silent tears, "he's right about the company holding a grudge against you; you failed to bring me in when I was in Banora and you let me get away when I was in Midgar. That kind of stuff generates a lot of hate. If you fail to eliminate me again, they will shoot you, first chance they get."_

_Zack was unfazed. "I don't care if they come after me with guns and tanks," he declared, holding his hand out to Angeal to show he was on his side. "My days with Shinra are done. I want to come with you. I won't let you face this alone."_

_The terminally ill 1st stared at the outstretched hand sadly, wishing that he could take it, hold it and never let go. To do so, however, would be cruel to Zack when he wasn't going to be around to see him live out his dream of becoming a hero. And lying to the boy would make him a monster, not just in body, but in spirit. He would spend the rest of eternity despising himself if he manipulated Zack into believing that they had a chance of escaping Modeoheim and making their way to a place where -_

Never mind. As Zack would say, "Whatever."

_Angeal solemnly shook his head. He was wasting precious time, wishing for something that could no longer be. He had a huge favor to ask of Zack, and he feared that he would not be able to see his final request carried out before the army stormed the bathhouse. Zack would be lost if Tseng came into the building and overheard their treasonous conversation. In order to guarantee the boy's survival, the army and the Turks would need to believe that he had been taken down without any second thoughts. Zack must walk away from this with Shinra's faith in him restored._

_"Zack, you - can't - come with me," Angeal sorrowfully told the boy, tripping on words that he would give every ounce of his being not to say. He pushed the Buster Sword back into Zack's hand and tilted his head to the side, baring his neck. "I don't want you to go where I'm going, and after I'm gone, I don't want you to follow me. You're still young and have the rest of your life ahead of you. Live, grow, and be the man that I could have been. You will be my living legacy, and, I'm afraid I must ask you to also be the person who sets me free."_

_"Angeal, what are you saying...?" Zack wheezed, turning disbelieving eyes on his mentor._

_Angeal removed his weapons harness and draped it over a broken faucet; he would have no need for it where he was going. "I'm asking you to help me," he whispered, bowing his head, as though defeated. "I need you to put an end to me before it's too late." His suddenly small form quivered and his hands fluttered out uselessly in front of him. "I'd rather die at your hands than be forced to harm other people; enough people have suffered, on account of Project G. I don't want to see anyone else get hurt," he said, voice now painfully calm. "Especially not you or Sephiroth. You know Hojo would use me as a weapon."_

_"S-stop." Zack hurled the Buster Sword to the floor, throwing it down like it was a snake. His head jerked up as it landed in a puddle, and water went flying everywhere. He looked beyond Angeal as the 1st moved to retrieve the sword, gazing at the currents of Lifestream energy pouring into the room through the cracks in the bathhouse. Incomprehension and anger flowed from his eyes as the Buster blade was thrust back at him and potent materia was shoved into his arms. Hell Thundaga, Ultima and Quake smiled up mockingly at him as he backed towards the doorway where Hollander was standing; and the detestable doctor, of course, had the audacity to look like he had just lost a treasured toy. "Don't ask me to do this." Zack sniffed as all eyes in the room narrowed on him. "I won't do it!"_

_"You have to! Let me remind you how inhuman I am. As a monster, I have no rights or feelings. They can do whatever they want with me. What I want, doesn't matter." Angeal broke away from his young apprentice and moved to the center of the room, looking like he had been pole-axed. His eyes burned with panic and silent pleading as he lifted his hand to his face and focused his energy. His vision wavered as pain unimaginable took him over. Bones shifted about, scraping uncomfortably against each other, as a large white wing erupted from his shoulder and a smaller, partially grown wing emerged from his back. Moisture appeared in the corners of his eyes as the unnatural appendages soared over Zack's head, and sleek, shiny feathers rained down around them. He grimaced as Zack's mouth fell open and the boy fell silent with shock; he watched helplessly as Zack gaped at him, assuming that his silence was disgust, when, in actuality, it was confusion._

_"I didn't know...you had a wing," Zack whispered - reacting as though he was seeing Angeal's wing for the first time. The Planet, for whatever reason, had chosen not to walk him through things that had happened in Midgar in his past life, and he had no memory of fighting alongside his one winged mentor or Angeal revealing his wing to him above the Church. He also had no memory of ever dating Aeris. "It's- "_

_"The wing of a monster," Angeal snapped, thinking that Zack was being sarcastic about not knowing about his wings; sarcasm was one way Zack dealt with things he didn't like._

_His wing muscles twitched as the boy's stunned eyes bore into him. Against his will, he squeezed his own eyes shut, not wanting to see anymore; Zack was one of the few people he could not take rejection from. His body convulsed involuntarily as the child gaped at him, and more than ever then, he longed for the Lifestream to swallow him up and put an end to him; Zack - Sephiroth - the world needed to be free of him and the horror he generated._

_"Disgusting, isn't it? Perhaps my wing will look less disgusting to you when it is tacked onto Hojo's wall. When I have outlived my usefulness as a weapon, he will want to vivisect my body, and keep it around for study. I wonder if he will use anesthesia when he cuts me open or if I will feel the knife? If you kill me I'll be spared such a fate. Will you free me? I'm ready."_

No- I won't. _Zack shook his head, even though the thought of Hojo cutting Angeal open cut him to the quick. "It'd be murder."_

_"No, it'd be mercy!"_

_Angeal wrung his hands in exasperation, and Zack hesitantly plucked one of the feathers from the sky and stared at it. It was one of the warmest and softest things he had ever touched, and it was fragile and beautiful. When he held it up to the light, sunlight streamed through it, making its already glossy barbs glow radiantly. His lips parted in awe as white light danced across it, and when he tipped his head up, there was affection and acceptance in his eyes. What others would consider gruesome and scary he found magical and comforting. The wing and feathers were, he told himself, just additional parts of Angeal, nothing worth running screaming into the night or getting worked up about. Had their circumstances been less dire, he would have smacked Angeal and teased him relentlessly for_

_making such a big deal out of something so trivial. And scolded him for treating him like he was going to be grossed out and reject him._

_"I like your wing. It looks good on you. Very noble-looking," he faltered, trying to wrap his head around what he was seeing up-close for the first time now. Wing mutations definitely ranked right up there as one of the most what the fuck things he had encountered in the memory world, and being mere feet away from Angeal and his wings made him once again question Aeris' sanity. It was inconceivable to him that she expected him to return to the Church, believing that Angeal had strutted a wing in his supposed past-life, and he planned on having a few choice words with her about her crazy beliefs once this ordeal ended. He would leave the building with her convinced that there was no such thing as a one-winged man, and no such thing as reincarnation. And he would be damned if he didn't go home without receiving an apology for the trip through memory-world hell from the unstable Cetra-chick! It was the least she could do to set things straight, god damn it._

_"How long have you had your wing?" he asked, filling the air with small talk to preserve what little sanity he had left. "Can you fly with it? What does it feel like? Why is it white?" Had he had all of his memories of Midgar intact, he would not have asked such questions. "How come it's not black?"_

_A soft sigh passed through Angeal's lips as Zack threw himself into his arms, sobbing over the lack of control he had in the memory world. Angeal pet the boy's hair numbly, not sure what to think of Zack's behavior. He had no idea what had brought on the sudden outburst, and the boy's questions bewildered and frightened him. The child was acting like he had just learned about his wing and was asking questions that he already knew the answers to. "Zack," Angeal sadly said, as the boy clung to a hand that was rising in consternation, "why are you saying these things? You've seen my wing before. I showed it to you the day you and Sephiroth went after Hollander, and I flew you to Midgar, don't you remember?"_

_A muffled sob was the only response he got, and that sob destroyed what little desire Angeal had left to live. In death, you don't have to see the people you care about fall to pieces._

_He lowered his wing and wrapped it around Zack, creating a feathered cocoon around them; he was at a loss for words and it was the only thing he could think of doing to comfort his young friend. Zack responded well to being cocooned and buried his face in the giant white feathers. Angeal cupped the back of his head, soothing him and treasuring him; it would be the last time that he would ever be able to hug him like this. Once the hug ended, he would force Zack to kill him, whether the boy was ready to or not. Turks and infantrymen were assuming their position on the stairs, and it would not be long before they charged into the room they were in and shot at whomever looked like an enemy. Zack would be the first person they tried to take out, because the boy held no value to the science department. Wings and enhancements was where the money was at._

_A horrible possibility crossed his mind as he swept his fingers from the nape of the boy's neck to his scalp, and it took all his self-restraint not to voice his suspicions out loud, and ask Zack if Hojo had performed bizarre brain surgery on him. Head trauma would explain Zack's memory loss and unpredictable behavior, and, Angeal recalled, Zack had said that Hojo had cut him up. "Hojo messed you up in the head when he experimented on you, didn't he?" he murmured, heart pounding loudly. "My poor Puppy. I'm sorry I let him get a hold of you. I've been a terrible mentor."_

No! Don't say that! _Zack tightened his grip on Angeal, squeezing him with mad, desperate strength. His throat contracted as he got up in Angeal's face, forcing the other man to look at him. Grief-stricken, hollow-blue eyes stared back at him, looking distant and sad. The pain in them was terrible, and the desperation and fear twisting Angeal's gentle features made Zack almost forget what he wanted to say. The hopelessness and passitivity radiating from him was heartbreaking, and Zack knew that he would never look at Angeal the same way again. What he had once admired Angeal for, he now saw as weaknesses; what he had once wanted to emulate, he now saw as frightening and evil. He shuddered against the man whom had once been his teacher, loathing him for stubbornly refusing to compromise his morality and fight for his freedom, and loving him for being selfless and noble._

_"You're a good mentor. The best I've ever had! If I had to choose between you and Sephiroth, I would pick you hands down! You're great."_

_Angeal straightened, looking for a moment, like his old self. For an instant, Zack thought that he had recovered, and was going to come back to life. His eyes glowed, the wrinkles in his face smoothed out, and his wing arched proudly in the air. He pressed his forehead against the Buster Sword, holding it close to him the way he had done when he had still believed in dreams, pride and honor. And then he said: "Thank you for forgiving me, Zack. You always try to see the good in people, whether it's deserved or not. I'll miss that about you. There are very few people with such qualities these days. "_

_"No... no..." Zack shouted, recognizing it as good-bye. "I won't kill you!"_

Then I'll leave you with no choice. If I cease to be human, then you'll **have** to kill me. You're too kind to let me live like a monster in a cage! _Angeal released Zack and gently pushed him away with his wing. Zack fell to the floor, and Angeal closed his eyes - silently calling out to the escaped monsters who roamed about the facility. He thrust his hand above his head and stood there calmly as screeches and twitters filled the air. A ghastly-looking A-Hound shot into the room, and monstrous-winged creatures dropped down from the rafters to join it. A look of peace came over Angeal's face as Zack sprung to his feet to defend him and Hollander charged at him, screaming, "Have you lost your mind? If you absorb those monsters, you won't be able to change back! Don't do it! You'll destroy everything we've worked to achieve. What do you think you're doing?"_

_"Making a choice. It's about time I've made one. I've let you manipulate me long enough," replied Angeal with deadly certainty. He drove his fist into Hollander's jaw as the scientist lunged for him, hitting him with teeth-shattering force. Hollander let out a cry and staggered back, toppling over; he fell into Zack's arms, looking like he had been betrayed. Zack hurled him to the ground and Hollander had the nerve to let out a sob before kicking away. Angeal let him crawl away with relief, feeling clear and in charge of his fate. "I'm no one's tool anymore," he said to Zack, holding his hand out to the boy. "I'm my own person again. You helped me find myself, Zack. Thanks to you, I'm free."_

_Zack spun around, face quivering. Their eyes met and Zack struggled, wanting to cry, but no longer having any tears left. His eyes widened as the older man smiled at him, drawing him in with his warmth and looking truly happy; it was a side of Angeal he had never seen before, and it hurt like hell knowing he would never be able to get to know this side of him. It was too late in the memory-world and the real Angeal would be devastated when he returned to the Real World and revealed to him that he was a terminally ill monster with a demented mother who whored her family out to the science department. It would be a miracle if the real Angeal held up his head again after learning the truth about his origins._

_"Don't make me do this," he pleaded. "Please, don't. There has to be another way. It can't end like this! Whatever happened to having dreams, pride and honor? "_

_Angeal started to back towards the monsters. "Everything I once believed in," the one-winged man said, "will live on in you. You will pass along what I taught you to others. Protect your dreams, pride and honor. Take care of the Buster Sword, I'm passing it down to you. And protect the Strife boy. Shinra is a den of monsters and you should get him out if you can. If you look after him - "_

\- he may find a way to fill the void I'll leave behind, _Angeal numbly thought, staring in shock as the sky above them began to shake. He watched in amazement as a tear formed, leaving a big, gaping black hole in the middle of sunny rose-gold skies; through it, he could see weathered pews and stained-glass windows. A boy who resembled Cloud Strife came into view in the Rift, and then a person who was the spitting image of his Puppy appeared and sank to his knees in a flooded flower bed; from where Angeal was standing, it was impossible to tell whether he was shedding tears of sorrow or tears of joy. A girl in a pink dress darted out of the shadows and began to walk about, lighting candles and scattering rose petals on the church-floor; Angeal recognized her, but he could not place a name to her face in his distraught state. All he could remember was that he had seen her and Zack hanging out together in the Slums when he had flown over Midgar._

_"Zack," he asked, "who's that girl up there?"_

_Zack followed his gaze and looked at him with lively, confused horror. "I don't understand what you're asking," the boy exclaimed, seeing nothing but puffy white-pink clouds and hawks soaring overhead. "There's no one there!"_

You - can't see her? _Angeal cracked a smile, it appeared that the stories about people receiving visions before they died were true._

_"After I'm gone, you're going to find yourself surrounded by friends who love you and care about you," he said with conviction, desperately wanting to believe that he was being shown things that had not yet happened. It would be nice to die knowing that Zack was going to make it, and emerge from this experience safe and happy; it never occurred to him that he was looking into the Real World, and seeing the events that were happening outside Zack's subconsciousness. " And I will be there as well in the Lifestream, watching over," he added, features softening as a man who looked_ **just like him** _materialized in the Rift, and started to cautiously creep towards the submerged flower-bed. Apparently, Angeal concluded, people who die end up as ghosts. "You'll just have to look a little bit closer to see me."_

_Zack buried his face in his hands; Angeal looked like some twisted, fallen messiah with his eyes glowing ecstatically and his lips parted in rapture. It was a loathsome thing to behold, and he was unable to stand the sight of it. "No - don't say I'm gonna have to look for you," he said to himself, seeking refuge inside his mind; there he would be safe from the radiant unlight emanating from Angeal. And there, he wouldn't have to listen to insane, suicidal rants or infantrymen loading their weapons outside the door. And there, he could pretend that beautiful mountain tops, rolling green hills and white waters awaited them in some distant, Shina-free haven. "You're not going anywhere, you hear me? I'm going to kill those monsters and you're going to live. I'm going to save you!"_

No you're not going to do that! _Angeal motioned to the monsters flitting about them and dropped to his knees. Zack screamed his name as the creatures rushed to pull him down. He kept his head high and his eyes focused on the Rift in the sky as the A-Hound shredded his arms and the A-Sahagin raked his legs in its eagerness to fuse with his back. His vision watered and tears of relief dribbled down his cheeks as the griffon ripped his shoulders, tearing them to ribbons, and the A-Ahriman burrowed under his flesh. Reason fled from him as the monsters merged with him, and the physical pain of the transformation overwhelmed the emotional pain that had been gnawing away at him ever since his mother had died. For once, his demented mind welcomed being the recipient of pain. It was, he told himself, as his ribcage split in two and a grisly, fanged snout emerged from his gut, just punishment for the inaction he had shown when Hojo had plucked up his Puppy. Now, all the people he had hurt would have justice._

_"I'll miss you, Zack," he whispered, extending a now hideous, mechanical gray hand towards the boy. "I wish things could have worked out differently. It would have been nice to see you become a hero."_

_He surrendered control of his mutated body to the feral creatures warring within him as Zack choked out a response. He knew he would lose his resolve to commit suicide if he let Zack speak; the boy had a way of talking people out of doing bad things to themselves. People found it hard to resist Zack, and he was no exception._

_His eyes roved across the Rift as the aggressive Sahagin won the war for dominance and asserted its bloodthirsty nature. The last thing he saw as he sank into obliviousness was Cloud's double gaping at his doppelganger and exclaiming, "Shit. First Sergeant Hewley, what are you doing here?"_

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"That is a question I should be asking you," the Real Angeal replied, gesturing to the water spreading out across the Church floor. He swept past Aeris and Cloud and hurried to Zack's side; with Zack in distress, all the questions he had about being terminally ill, Vincent, and killing Hojo could wait. Cloud looked like he was about to throw up as he splashed through the water-logged flowerbed to get to his sobbing, half-naked apprentice, and bright-eyed Aeris, for once, looked ill-at-ease. "You have a lot of explaining to do," he sternly said, speaking with so much force that Cloud, for a moment, thought the General was in the room, reaming them out. "And you can start by explaining this mess. _Tell me_ why he's crying and why he's not responding to me when I shake him. What's wrong with him, how come he's acting like I'm not here? What is happening to him? Whose idea was this? I assume it was yours, _Cloud?_ In that case, snap him out of it and get him out of here."

Cloud shivered beneath Angeal's confused, accusatory scrutiny. He had anticipated that it would be difficult explaining the truth to Angeal, but he had never imagined that it would go down like this, with Angeal shadowing his movements, and then confronting him. He inhaled softly as Angeal assaulted him with questions, wondering where to even begin. At last, he brought his head up, determined to meet the other man's gaze, and said, "He's in his mind, trying to remember stuff from his past-life. Until he remembers, he won't be able to understand why I'm doing the things I'm doing. And honestly, I don't know how to stop this. This is Aeris' magic."

Having said that, he stood beside the flower-bed, totally expecting the worst to happen.

Angeal sighed. He looked at Cloud like he was speaking in another language and shook his head at the mention of "past-life." He had been incredulous when Aeris had started telling Zack that she could prove to him that reincarnation happened to people, and he felt even more shocked now. It was mind-boggling to him that she believed that Zack was some important spirit from the past, and unfathomable to him that she would put him through such a dreadful ordeal in order to get him to share her beliefs. Surely, he thought, with mounting concern as Zack grabbed at his shoulder, there were other, less painful ways for her to express her faith? And why, he wondered, was Cloud Strife going along with her? As Zack's best friend, Cloud was supposed to be watching Zack's back, and making sure he didn't go through this kind of shit.

"Spread a towel out on the floor, so I have a spot to put him," he said, deciding it would be best not to tell them what he was thinking for the time-being; at the moment, it was hard to think of anything nice to say. "And start doing whatever you need to do to wake him up."

His eyes narrowed when he realized that Aeris was sitting in the pews, observing him. "Come on. Everyone involved. Especially _you."_

Aeris complied and came to assist Cloud. She knelt down beside him and began to clear the area, keeping her eyes on the floorboards and the documents they'd taken out. It was the best she could do for Zack when the Planet had ahold of him. Angeal's lips flattened, then thinned with displeasure at her apparent inaction.

"Please help Zack, and leave everything else to Cloud and I. We can handle the rest." First Sergeant Hewley wearily said. The anguish in his voice was dreadful as he lifted Zack from the water; Aeris put her hand over her heart, feeling in him a sadness that she had not felt in another person, since the day her mother had died, and Cloud paused in his work, knowing all too well what he was going through. Their eyes met, and Angeal straightened and held his head up, painfully aware that he was broadcasting his emotions to them. He was transparent to them, and there was nothing he could do to conceal his confusion - his anger - and loneliness from them. His fear of being terminally ill, horror of them hacking, and frustration at being unable to help Sephiroth deal with his drugs problems were putting cracks in the walls of his normally calm demeanor. "Why won't you wake him up? He's climbing the walls. _Do something_."

He slid Zack into position, on the towel, and motioned to Aeris. "I'm sorry," she apologized, "but there's nothing I can do. The Planet won't let him go until he finishes living out his memories. I can check on him though for you."

She got down on her knees before Angeal could open his mouth to demand further explanation, and pulled Zack's head into her lap. She placed her hands on his forehead and closed her eyes, reaching out to him. Zack leaned into her palm and clutched at her wrists as she sought the murmur of his soul in the Lifestream. Images raced through her mind, like they had before, and this time she saw dilapidated floorboards, rusted pipes and mildewy shower stalls. She withdrew from him as naked steel flashed before her eyes, and the sound of his heart grew louder, going from being a soft, reassuring thing she heard in the background, to an obnoxious, headache-inducing war beat. The Planet let out a low, endlessly long cry, as she returned to her own body, and she heard excited, agitated whispers warning her that Zack had not yet completed his journey. "He has several more challenges to face," she said to Angeal, who looked like he was gearing up to give her the sternest lecture of her life, "The Planet's not ready to give him back."

The voices faded away, and Zack began to moan and groan. He tossed about restlessly, like an insomniac, and quivered, shaking with sobs. His eyes were wide and unfocused, as if he were gazing upon a horror he was unable to comprehend, and his cheeks were bright-red. "No, please, don't make me do this," he was whispering. "Please. For God's sake, no! ANGEAL! Please. Stop...please."

His pleas were drowned out by a loud slam; Angeal stood up, his hand over his mouth. His features softened and he wrapped his arms around himself, feeling hollow and cold. He studied Zack sorrowfully, not sure what to make of his apprentice calling out to him. The turmoil in his face revealed his conflict, and indecisiveness. Aeris beckoned to him, but he stayed back, torn between going to Zack and comforting him, or hovering over him from a distance. Zack was growing increasingly agitated, remembering something that had transpired between them; getting down on his knees and touching his terrified apprentice was bound to make things worse.

"I think that I should stay over here for now. My presence seems to be upsetting him," he said at length, recoiling as Zack carried on. "He's acting like I've hurt him?"

Cloud shifted about uncomfortably. "You - have," he softly said, haunted by his memories of Modeoheim. He could still see Zack breaking down after the fight in the bath house... "What you did was inexcusable."

Instantly, Angeal was upon him. _"What do you mean?"_ First Sergeant Hewley demanded. "What did I do?"

 _A bunch of bad things._ Cloud rose and looked Angeal in the face with contempt, appalled that he wasn't on the floor, comforting Zack. It appeared Angeal was as passive as ever, retreating inwardly and emotionally shutting down when faced with situations that revealed ugly, personal truths about himself. It had been that passiveness and unwillingness to accept what people thought of him that had led to tragedy in Modeoheim, and Cloud would be damned if he allowed Angeal to head down that self-destructive path again. The mistakes of the past, he vowed, would _not_ be repeated, and Zack's life would _not_ be destroyed over his mentor's selfishness.

Cloud clenched his fist and said, "In your past-life, you hurt Zack deeply. You left without explanation, making him feel like shit, and when your wing emerged, you popped in and out of Midgar, placing him in the position of having to hunt you down. You refused to answer his questions, you made him constantly wonder what side you were on, and then you decided to end it, choosing suicide by Puppy. You destroyed him in far less time than it took Hojo to destroy me."

There was a long pause. Cloud sank back against the altar and waited to be assaulted with a string of angry, verbal blows, now that he had let one of his biggest secrets out of the bag. His breathing slowed and his skin warmed. His irises burned and his throat twisted as Angeal went still and tried to draw meaning from his words. He expected Angeal to tell him that he was an unstable troublemaker and threaten to expel him from Shinra for the lying, hacking and the hell they were putting Zack through on the floor.

Angeal, to his amazement, did neither.

"Stop! Enough, I don't want to hear anymore of this nonsense." Angeal commanded, sounding more defeated than Cloud had ever heard him sound before. He squatted beside the pews, looking lost and confused. He put his hand up, waving Cloud away; it was a gesture that he made when people attempted to tell him things, he didn't care to know about, or said things that sounded so insane, he wanted to run in the opposite direction. He remembered the talks that he had had with Genesis about Cloud, and the debates that had ensued, when his friend had started to passionately praise the boy for his maturity and integrity. And he recalled Genesis wigging out on him, and telling him that he needed to look beyond past history, give Cloud a second chance to prove he was trustworthy. He watched Cloud go to Zack with a concern that couldn't be feigned, and heard the soft sigh of relief that escaped from the blond's lips, and wondered if Genesis had been right; the boy was doing none of the things that he expected a liar to do, like get nervous and try to cover his tracks. He was acting as though he had had a great burden lifted off his shoulders, and he looked wise, calm and _ageless_.

Angeal swallowed with great difficulty, suddenly very disturbed by the things he was seeing in Cloud. He averted his gaze and absently picked up a binder that Cloud and Aeris had left out; in the excitement with Zack, he had overlooked it. He flipped it open to a page that Cloud had bookmarked, and felt his throat knot as pictures of a strange, cruel-looking blue woman fell to the floor. His eyes grew big as he read the name plate on her helmet, and realized that the leaf-like shapes on her body were scales and the flabby pieces on her back were wings. He thought about what Sephiroth had told him about his mother - Jenova, he winced - and the world darkened even more before his eyes. His heart started racing, and the conclusions he drew were not pretty.

The photos slipped from his hands as he thumbed to a group shot of the people who performed tests on the hideous creature. He recognized Hojo and Professor Gast immediately, and was dismayed to see Hollander; posing with the bunch. He had hoped that his kind, warmhearted doctor would not be involved in this mess, and it was a huge blow to find him laughing, smiling and looking totally evil next to Hojo. Even worse, was flipping the pictures over, and seeing that each one had been dated and signed by Hollander. There was no mistaking the authenticity of the signature, and Hollander had had the gall to throw in, "Director of Science, Shinra Corp" at the bottom of each picture.

Angeal felt like he had been punched in the gut. These pictures confirmed Hollander's involvement and the existence of the Jenova Project, and they made some of the mind-boggling things that Cloud had said seem a lot less insane. Now, he knew that Cloud wasn't imagining that there was some kind of conspiracy going on within Shinra, and getting people whipped up over his delusions. But still...

He pushed the pictures to the side, and placed the binder back in the pews. The next page contained MRI results and a copy of his medical records, and he knew that he did not want to review that info just yet. He was not in the right frame of mind to find out what kinds of hideous things Hollander had wanted to do to his health and Zack was crying out again, begging him not to make him _kill him_!

 _Could it be...?_ Angeal ran a hand tremblingly through his hair. Could it be that he had chosen "suicide by Puppy" in the past? Had he hurt Zack, as deeply as Cloud had implied he had, or was that just angry talk? Was there such a thing as reincarnation, he wondered, or was reincarnation merely a Cetra belief? And how come Cloud talked like he had seen all the dreadful things he had allegedly done to hurt Zack? Had the cadet been there when all this shit had occurred? If so, that would make the boy a time-traveler, and time-travel in Angeal's mind was just as hard to accept as reincarnation.

 _This is all so crazy!_ he thought, fighting now to contain his turbulent emotions and project the calmness he was known for to the world. He once again felt naked and exposed, and Cloud's penetrating eyes made it worse. The boy had a way of looking at people that made them feel as though they were on trial. In that regard, the boy was very much like Sephiroth.

"Strife, after Zack wakes up, I want you to return to headquarters and pack your things. Bring whatever you need for an overnight trip. You and Zack are spending the night with me. I expect you to explain everything that's been going on, and backup what you've told me," he strained, words ending on a gasp as pain, unlike any he had experienced before, overtook him.

He dropped down on one knee and put his hands on the edge of the pews. Searing fire shot up his back, hitting him hardest right between his shoulder blades. He clutched his right shoulder and drew deep breaths, unused to his nerve fibers stretching, and tendons around the area jumping. His fingers and toes curled as the bones in his back shifted, and violently pushed against each other. Bone scraped against bone, creating gouges and hairline scalpular fractures, and the deltoid muscles in his shoulders stretched in directions that they should not go. His legs buckled and butt bucked as his armpits burst into flame and a sharp stinging sensation coursed through him. The room spun in circles as his vision blurred. Excruciating pressure swelled up within his chest and the pain in his shoulders spread to his neck and jaw. He wearily pointed to his car keys as they swirled past him, frustrated that he had now joined the club of people with back pains.

"Go to my car when you have the chance, please," he said to Cloud, "and see if there's medicine in the glove compartment. I'm going to need it. I think I just tore a ligament. Also, please bring the extra uniform in the trunk. It'll fit Zack - " _\- alot better than the chocobo shirt you dug up for him, ugh!_

 _"Uhmmm."_ Cloud gulped and stared at the wing that had burst through Angeal's shoulder with alarmed, shocked eyes. It was nearly six feet wide, had impressive twenty-inch long feathers trailing along the floor, and was an exquisite ivory-white. Its bone structure looked strong and healthy and the small, undeveloped wing shyly peeking out from underneath it was subtle and angelic. "I don't think it'd be a good idea for me to go out to the car..."

 _...because it's not a torn ligament!_ lamented Cloud. He dropped the towel he was holding and backed away, bumping against a table. A glass vase toppled over and shattered, and he flinched at the sound. Aeris came over to investigate which of her mother's vases he had broken, and he lowered his eyes - mortified. He stood there still, feeling sorry for her and even sorrier for Angeal, who was kneeling by the pews with blood trickling down his back, looking like he had been stabbed repeatedly. He had never known wing-manifestation could cause such blood loss.

He surveyed the damage, considering the consequences. The vase looked like it could be fixed and made good as new. Angeal's mental state, on the other hand, could not be so easily repaired, if Angeal went ballistic when he learned about his newly erupted wing, and shattered. Cloud knew he needed to move to prevent a crisis.

He felt his heart jump into his throat as Angeal pulled his hand away from his shoulder and realized that it was covered with _his_ blood. Things were going downhill fast.

He strode over to the now-worried man and aggressively caught Angeal by the wrist before he could turn his head. He activated the Cure materia in his Mythril bracelet, pressed the accessory against Angeal's clavicle and quickly said, "Jenova cells enhance our bodies when they're activated. Some people become really strong - others gain heightened magic resistance - and a few people grow wings and learn how to fly like angels. Their bodies change, but they remain _human_. Being enhanced _doesn't_ make them monsters."

Angeal saw where this was leading and slumped against the pews. He pressed his fingers against his eyelids and began to slowly count to himself. His throat thickened as he drew deep breaths and despair, denial and indignation swept through him, overwhelming him. His heart ached at the extent of the betrayal as he slid a hand onto his shoulder and felt muscle and bone that he hadn't been born with. Soft white feather down stuck to the sticky, blood-coated hand that dropped to his side, in shock, and Angeal was sickened to see additional feathers flake off, and land on Zack, of all places; apparently he was prone to molting (just another thing now to add to the list of things that made him in-human). His wing beat anxiously at the wooden floor, and he shut his eyes, unable to endure looking at the sight, and unable to bring himself to look at Cloud, who he no longer had any reason now to doubt. The monstrous appendage hanging over his shoulder was proof enough that supernatural things could occur.

Reincarnation and time-travel suddenly didn't seem quite so outside the realm of possibility, and that uncertainty made the situation he was in all the more terrible for Angeal. If reincarnation and time-travel were as real as his wing, then that would mean that he had gone off the deep-end in his past-life and abused Zack.

Angeal dabbed at his burning eyes and blinked several times to clear his vision. "Is this permanent?" he gathered up the courage to ask Cloud, avoiding the subject of Zack for the time being.

He prayed it was not permanent. His life as he knew it would be over if it was. It would be suicide to go about the world sporting a huge white wing. Hojo would take one look at him and pump him full of tranquilizer darts, then throw him into a cell in the science lab to rot. He would spend the rest of his days eating food from a pan and undergoing invasive medical procedures to find out where his wing came from. If he got lucky, Hojo would vivisect him, or accidentally kill him on the operating table.

"I don't want to be stuck like this."

"You won't be," Cloud replied, returning with filled a plastic bucket filled with water from the Lifestream. He brought over a wash cloth and a bar of soap, and then moved a row back to let Aeris to clean Angeal up while he answered questions. She was better at doing that sort of thing than he was, and had a natural way with people. He smiled thinly as she slipped into the pew beside Angeal, filled the wash-cloth with soap and water, and reached for the large white wing in front of her. Angeal, as expected, resisted and tried to move away from her, but she was persistent, and slid after him, glowing with the joy and radiance she brought into the world.

"You can't get rid of it for good, cause it's a part of you now, but you can retract it. There's a way to make it come and go when you want, but I don't know how it's done. It should be easy to do though. In your past life, you figured it out."

Angeal frowned, less than thrilled to hear that. He had been hoping Cloud would tell him that there was a cure or that his wing would magically fall off on its own. It appeared that nothing of the sort was going to happen - oh well. He heaved a sigh and sadly held out his wing for Aeris; the desire to get the blood off his body and feel clean again winning out and trumping his reluctance to be touched. Plus, he told himself, it would be gross, animal-behavior to pull a soiled, bloodied wing back into his body. "Is there anything else I need to learn to do?" he bitterly asked, trying to ignore the feel of ice-coldwater running through his feathers and gentle hands massaging his aching muscles; neither sensation was pleasant, and every-time he felt water or hands on his wing, he was reminded of just how far he'd fallen from humanity.

Cloud recognized the tone in Angeal's voice and decided to interject. No good would come of a depressed, one-winged SOLDIER spending the night brooding about his transformation and loathing himself. Disaster would be looming right around the corner if they failed to nip things in the bud when they had the chance, and Zack would be the person who ended up paying the price because he was closest to Angeal. "Learn how to accept what's happened to you and make peace with yourself," he ended up telling Angeal. "Don't start questioning what you are or you'll turn into someone you don't like. That's what happened last time."

The hairs on Angeal's neck rose. Cloud had good advice, but Angeal couldn't see himself accepting what he had become anytime soon; all his dreams were gone with his descent into monsterdom and life was going to be infinitely more difficult. His distinguished military career with Shinra was over, now that he had to worry about playing hide-what-I-am from the science department, and he questioned whether it would be wise for him to return home and take care of his mother when there was the possibility that he would eventually become mentally unstable. Mentoring future cadets wasn't going to happen and the only real future he could see for himself, at the moment, was one of self-enforced hermitage, away from humanity, after this Jenova mess got cleared up. It was going to be a very trying existence to say the least.

"I'll try to make the best out of the situation," Angeal said to Cloud. "And you won't have to worry about me questioning myself. It is clear, in my mind, what I am. I'm not a human being. I'm a monster."

"Urgh! Here we go again. You are not a monster. You. Are. A. Human. Being. Why is it so hard for you to accept that you are one? Stop saying you're a monster and start saying you're a human being." Cloud was so disgusted he nearly bumped against the table again. At the last moment, he caught himself and jerked his arm away. Aeris looked visibly relieved and Angeal folded his arms and glowered at the flustered blond; even though he no longer saw himself as a part of humanity, he still felt he had the right to lecture cadets about following its social rules, and pull rank on them when they said things out of line. And telling him that he should call himself something he was not was most definitely out of line. "I suppose you're going to say, 'Hi, I'm Angeal, the Monster.' next time you're at a company event and you're introduced to a new person?"

Angeal decided to ignore the sarcasm for now. He was too emotionally exhausted to deal with attitude from the cadet and they had pressing things to talk about. He needed to find out if he was going to become unhinged and ask what measures he could take to reduce the intense pain in his shoulder. Sephiroth's curiosity would be aroused if he came into work with an injury that affected his performance and he knew that there would be no getting the general to leave him alone until the man found out whether he was now resorting to painkillers himself. After the argument they'd had at the hospital, Sephiroth would be out for blood.

"I'm not going to lie and pretend I'm a human being," he quietly told Cloud, now uneasy about Sephiroth and his back condition. It couldn't be a coincidence that they were both experiencing severe back pain, and Genesis, he remembered, had also been complaining about aches at the hospital. "That would be dishonorable behavior and hurt people, and I think I've hurt enough people already as it is."

Cloud started at that remark, but chose not to comment on it. "So," he raged, instead, "you've decided you're a monster?"

"Yes, I have," Angeal distractedly replied, slanting a glance at his hated wing. How, he asked himself, was he going to explain _that_ to Sephiroth? And how would his friend react if he went to him and told him that it would only be a matter of time before he and Genesis sprouted wing as wells? Violently, most likely, with drugs impairing his judgment and mental instability destroying him. "Do I look human to you? This is the wing of a monster."

Cloud got up to clear his head, his ears ringing like crazy now. The wooden desk by the door caught his eye and he nearly stopped in front of it on his way to the entrance and gave it some abuse. Banging his forehead against the desk until Angeal saw reason was very, very tempting. First Sergeant Hewley was even more difficult to deal with than butt-headed Barrett or foul-mouthed, short-tempered Cid, and he was on the verge of saying screw it, and just concentrating on stopping Sephiroth and curing Genesis. Inspiration hit him as his fingers brushed across a bust of a beautiful-winged warrior woman. He remembered what the conversations he'd had with Genesis about Valkyries and held up the statue for Angeal to see.

"If that's how you want to see yourself," he tersely said to Angeal, "fine. You're a monster. Now, quit with the bullshit and pull your head out of your ass. The Valkyries were monsters, but they didn't act like you, and beat themselves up over it. They went out and fought for Odin and protected someone they cared about."

Angeal refused to buy it. "I read that the Valkyries killed warriors on the battlefield and spirited them off to Odin's land," he argued, shooting down what Cloud had said with an earlier interpretation that he'd found in the Archives.

"Yes, I read that as well. But that's only one interpretation," shot back Cloud. "Read around. You'll find the others. Do you take the first thing you read at face value?"

He slammed his fist into the table, deciding at this point to give up. They were going around in circles arguing about this and the more he tried to convince Angeal that he wasn't a monster, the more Angeal ended up believing that he was one. All he could hope for now was that Angeal would identify with what he'd told him, and fight for Zack and his other 1st Class friends. Angeal still seemed to care about being honorable, so there was a chance that the stubborn man would come around and see the light.

"What else do you want to know?" Cloud asked, less heatedly.

The dark-haired 1st wet his lips and hesitated, afraid to ask what he was thinking. He peered down at Zack on the floor, and then looked up at Cloud, who was still worked up over his infuriating insistence that he was a monster. Cloud's shadowed eyes softened as the bitterness and resignation faded from his face. He could no longer hold back his concern for Zack's well-being, and pulsed now with a faint white light. The beauty of his compassionate, kindhearted soul shone as he slid a pillow beneath Zack so he wouldn't be lying directly on the hardwood floor.

"Am I going to become insane and hurt him?" he said. "I was listening to you talk to Zack about my condition from the other room, and you told him that I was eventually going to become unstable. Please tell me what you meant by that. Where are the files you had out?""

Aeris passed him the brain-scan pictures they'd shown Zack and he reluctantly took them. His throat locked when he saw the abnormal, colored sections. The girl tugged at his arm as these cruel images caused his eyes to darken and pressure to build up in his lungs. Her dazzling smile and glimmering green eyes were the first things he saw when he turned around. "You likely will be affected," she told him, honestly. "You were, last time. But it wasn't until the end when you wanted Zack to kill you that you became unstable, and I know that this time, you'll be able to fight it, because you're different now than you were before. You've started to come to terms with the change, and you're thinking about Zack. In the past, you lost your way because all you could think about was your own suffering. You never stopped to consider what your destructive behavior was doing to the people you cared about."

Angeal was silent for a long time, contemplating her words and wondering if a mental breakdown had already started to occur. The thoughts he had been thinking a moment ago had been anything but rational, and his emotions were out of whack and tumultuous. He had made some very bad decisions over the past few days, and said things he realized now, he never would have said if he had been in his right mind. He was brimming with tension a normal person shouldn't have, and he felt thin and stretched, like a soldier who has seen all the horrors of war and is now experiencing post traumatic stress disorder. His gut reaction was to walk out of the Church, take to the sky, and let the new instincts that were awakening within him guide him to some far-off place where he could keep an eye on Zack from a distance and not interact with him. More than ever, now, he longed to leave, but he knew in his heart, he couldn't go and wouldn't go. Leaving would hurt Zack, confuse Genesis and destroy what remained of his relationship with Sephiroth. Zack, Cloud and the poor Cetra-girl would be in danger without him there to guide them and put a stop to their hacking and reckless behavior. And everything would blow up if Sephiroth and Genesis' wings emerged while he was away. Without him there to explain things to them and anchor them down, people would end up getting hurt. The best thing he could do was stay and watch over his friends and think twice about everything before he acted to make sure he was being sane and rational. He would make certain that suicide by Puppy never crossed his mind and do his best not to upset Zack.

"Cloud," he sighed, "you are right. I'm not thinking clearly and looking at the bigger picture. I feel like I'm sleep-walking and about to snap. I've lost my life. I've lost my pride. I'm a monster, but...I still have my honor, and as long as I have that, I have a duty to protect people." He lifted the Buster Sword into the air, placed his forehead against it and closed his eyes, as though in prayer. "I will join your fight and help stop those who create suffering, but there will be things that I will not put up with, like Zack recklessly endangering himself hacking into computers, or you putting anyone else through this trauma with the water. I have a lot of power in SOLDIER and I can give an order that will prevent you from ever going out of my sight to get into trouble."

Cloud's lips quirked. _"I can give an order that will prevent you from ever going out of my sight!"_ was _not_ what he wanted to hear. But the rest of the things Angeal was saying made his heart swell with hope and relief. With Angeal around, they would have access to inside information they never would have been able to obtain through Zack, and more importantly, they'd have someone fighting for them who Sephiroth and Genesis trusted with their lives. Sephiroth and Genesis would be more receptive to Angeal than he, and Angeal would be able to keep in check the feelings of despair and rage that they were bound to have when the truth came out. The strength Angeal provided might ultimately turn out to be what would get them through the storm.

"Thanks," he said to Angeal. "For fighting for us. Do you have any other questions? Anything else you don't understand, or need clarified?"

"Not now, no," Angeal replied abrasively. "I want to hear the entire story, but I don't want to listen to it while Zack is in pain."

He lowered himself to the floor beside his young apprentice, reaching out with a tentative had to brush an errant black spike out of his face. He was hesitant to actually touch Zack; since Cloud's words about ruining his life, he worried about the effect his presence would have on the young SOLDIER. Zack mewled softly, still trapped in whatever nightmare he was reliving, and Angeal brushed his fingertips over the boy's damp cheeks, hoping to bring him comfort. He stroked the boy's clammy, tear-stroked brows and puffy chin as Zack lay there, like a dead man, on the now drenched towel. To his astonishment, Zack seized his hand, and pressed it into his palm, hugging it desperately; it took him a moment to realize that Zack was demanding comfort from him, and not pushing his hand away in terror or blindly latching onto him. Sharp nails dug into him as he tried to ease the near-bone popping pressure Zack was putting on his fingers and knuckles. The boy warbled in protest and stared beyond him at something unseen that he could not see. From the way Zack looked at it, stricken and open-mouthed, it had to be terrible.

"Please, Cloud," he heard the teenager beg, in a pained voice that made him feel as though he was running on empty, "take me back. I can't take anymore. I've had enough. Get me outta here. I don't want to hurt Angeal."

"You're not hurting me, Zack, and I'm going to do everything I can to put a stop to these nightmares," interjected Angeal, turning blazing blue eyes upon the other occupants of the room. He shot up, towering a menacing 6 feet 4 over Cloud and Aeris. He held his arms out to them, caged, anxious and pleading. His wing arched agitatedly above his head as his apprentice grabbed onto the _feathers_ he'd left behind and sobbed into them, embracing them now that his hand was no longer available to hug. "I'm going to find a way to pull you out of there and bring you back," he promised the boy.

He turned to Aeris.

"Surely there's something that can be done? You're an Ancient. You can speak to the Planet. Would it release him if you prayed?" His heart clenched when she shook her head. "Then, is there anything _I_ can do to make this easier on him? I hate seeing him like this."

Aeris pursed her lips and flicked her eyes nervously at Angeal. There was something that they could try to ease Zack's suffering, but she did not know if it would work with him. It was unlikely that the Planet would permit a man whose body was raging with Jenova cells to enter Zack's memories within the Lifestream. And even if the Planet did let Angeal in, there remained the possibility that he would not be able to do much for Zack. It would take tremendous willpower and a strong affinity with Zack in order to manifest within the boy's memories, and retain incorporeal form. Affinity he had, willpower she was not sure of in his present condition. He looked too drained to be able to handle anymore shocks at the moment and watching Zack kill him would be devastating. Perhaps it would be better to send Cloud in his place?

"I may be able to help you get through to Zack," she told him at length, judging by his narrowed eyes that he would not react well to her suggesting Cloud be sent instead. He seemed determined to uphold the promise he'd made to his apprentice. "But you'll have to enter the Lifestream, and you'll be at the mercy of the Planet. If it decides that you are a Protector and not Calamity, you will be able to enter his mind, and search for him. You may be able to comfort him or speak to him. I do not know what will happen for sure. It all depends on your willpower. Is this something that you would like to try?"

Angeal nodded solemnly, not wanting to think about the trials that lay ahead. If the Planet permitted him to stay in the Lifestream, he had no doubt that it would barrage him with the hurts that he'd done to Zack and pit him against the demons within his soul. It would want to test the strength of his heart and hear him acknowledge his mistakes before it returned him to the real world. And it would want to see that he was repentant. "Tell me how to find my way to the Lifestream," he said to her. "How are we going to do this? Where do I need to be? In the flowerbed? I assume I need to be where Zack was."

He felt tremendously relieved when she gave him a gentle shove towards the pews. Squatting in freezing cold water with his eyes glazed over was an experience he would pass on if there were other ways of getting into the Lifestream.

"What do I need to do?" he asked Aeris, once they were in the pews and seated. He warily watched her put a hand on each of his arms, and press down. The pressing brought back unpleasant memories of having his pulse roughly examined by Hojo at the hospital, and being poked and prodded by his colleagues; only Hojo could make having something as simple as having a pulse measured turn into hell on earth. Headache started to form at the memories, and his eyes began to hurt, feeling as though they were burning up from the inside outwards. Hopefully, Hojo would resist the temptation to perform experiments on the blood he'd donated to Genesis. If Hojo found out anything interesting about him, then tests and x-rays would ensue, and it would only be a matter of time before his secret was discovered. "What are you searching for?"

Aeris ran her fingers up and down his skin, her touch soft and feather-light. She rubbed the top of his hands with her knuckles, applying a moderate amount of pressure to specific reflex points. Stimulating these points, the horny, former boyfriend at her feet had taught her, relieved tension, restored body balance and brought about renewed well-being. The tip of her thumb gently traced the big oversized veins bulging out of his wrist, and she increased the lengths of her strokes, making them long, slow and extra soothing. Ethereal green particles faded in and out around them like fireflies as she cast her most potent healing spells on him, combining the techniques she was using with Ancient Cetra magic. She smiled faintly as his shoulders eased and his breathing became normal. Soon, he would be in a completely calm, relaxed state, and that was what she wanted. The Planet would see him as a threat if he went in there in a heightened state of emotion.

"Think about a good moment in your life," she whispered to him as she gently probed his mind to see if he was ready. "When were you happy?"

"When my mother introduced me to Genesis. The moment I became friends with Sephiroth." Angeal said distantly. "The day I saw Zack sparring and realized that there was something different about him. That he fought with honor and that he was here because he had someone he wanted to protect. I knew then, I wanted to mentor him."

"Keep thinking about that," she encouraged him. "Try to recreate that scene. Close your eyes and imagine it."

He complied and Aeris placed her hands on his forehead. His consciousness rose, ascending to the next level, upon contact, and his senses sharpened. He felt more awake than he had ever felt before and he heard voices murmuring at him, all speaking in unison; what they were saying, however, he could not make out. Sandy-gold cliffs appeared in his head as he tried to bring back the memory, and his ears ached with the sound of swords clashing against each other. A shadow - tall, graceful and fluid - flitted through his mind, and he knew that it belonged to Zack. Lighthearted boyish laughter filled the air, drowning out the din of fighting, and for a second Angeal saw the warm glow of Zack's eyes shimmering out at him from the darkness. Urgency took hold of him as those sky-blue eyes smiled at him with an innocence that would be lost if Zack lived out killing him. He reached towards Zack, and when that did not compel the boy to stay, he kicked off the ground and launched himself into the air. He left his body lying behind on the pews. He would have no need of it where he was going.

Aeris cradled his still living, but now empty body as his spirit fled the Church and went soaring into the Lifestream. Cloud came over to her as she splashed water on its face. "Did it work?" the young swordsman inquired. "Will the Planet accept him?"

Aeris' smile was big and wide as she shifted Angeal so he sat upright. She left him propped up in the pews, looking like he was peacefully sleeping. "Yes, it will," she reassured him, glowing brighter than Holy. "I can feel the Planet and there is no anger. It would have thrown him back into his body by now if it was going to reject him. I think it wants to give him a chance to become its Protector - "

 _\- because you gave him his pride back_.

 _Cloud,_ her eyes sparkled, _You saved him._

**_ TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 30 - PART 2 _ **


	31. Part Two: Atonement

**Chapter Thirty, Part Two: Atonement**

_The Lifestream - εуλ 0000_

Angeal awoke to find himself lying on a hard stone slab beneath a sheer mountain of luminous blue-colored rock. White light streamed through cracks in the wall, illuminating his face, and a canopy of gnarled tree branches twisted about menacingly overhead. Withered green leaves floated slowly to the ground around him as his eyes adjusted to his blinding surroundings, and cold air blew across his skin, prickling it. The wind howled mournfully at him through a tunnel he couldn't see, and a spectral Wind-Wing cricketed nervously, alarmed by the jerky, uncoordinated movements that he made as he sat up. The pungent smell of mako hit his nostrils as he slid to the edge of the slab, and he became aware of steam rising up from tiny fissures at the base. The crystalline walls towering over him shook and trembled as his feet hit the ground, and something deep within the mountain rumbled. From the sound of it, not everyone agreed with the Planet's decision to admit him to the Lifestream. Time, Angeal decided, to get _out_ of this place before his presence provoked a confrontation; he had no idea if he could be harmed by the departed within the Lifestream, but he wasn't willing to take any chances. There was a very good chance that perishing in the Lifestream could cause his physical body to die in the real world.

He picked up his sword and limped towards one of the wind-tunnels.

The sound of muffled sobbing stopped him dead in his tracks. His heart leapt. Zack, he too quickly assumed, was _here_ in the cave with him.

He spun around, towards the sounds, and was taken aback to find himself staring at a child, clinging to the roots of the biggest tree he'd ever seen. The boy was most definitely _not_ Zack.

The child's resemblance to another person they both knew, however, was uncanny, and Angeal's irises became big as saucers as they moved over the supple black leather uniform the kid was wearing and the menacing looking katana the poor lost soul was clinging to. The design of the weapon reminded him of a miniature Masamune, and he could only pray that the child hadn't been taught how to wield the sharp odachi. If the little one did, they would be in for a gruesome fight, and injuring a child was _not_ a way he wanted to celebrate his initiation into monsterdom.

Angeal cautiously approached the boy. "Are you lost too?" he gently said, drawing in the hideous wing writhing about his body to make himself come across as less terrifying.

The silky curtain of hair parted and brilliant reptilian green eyes peered out at him. They were narrowed, swollen and full of bitterness, and the boy's eyes were full of adult understanding that no child that age should possess. The sight made Angeal want to tear his gaze away, for the anger and the feelings of hopelessness that were ripping his best friend apart were reflected in those sharp, pretty features. Memories seldom thought about these days were abruptly re-visited as the frightened boy peered up at him. Images flit through his head - of the person Sephiroth had been before the experiments, rigorous training and psychological abuse took their toll - and he once again felt himself gripped by a sense of urgency. Moved, he thrust his hand out to the child on the ground, offering consolation and support. It would take more, he knew, than one act of kindness to prevent the boy from turning into another suspicious, jaded silver-haired child. But helping the boy out would restore trust that had been lost, and undo a bit of the damage that had been done.

"What are you doing out here?"

The young swordsman rose to confront him. Those menacing slitted-snake eyes roved over him, pausing longest, Angeal noticed, on the loathsome white wing jutting from his shoulder. The boy's breathing quickened and Angeal tensed as the little one's face contorted in dread. Dread was replaced with bewilderment as small gloved hands tentatively reached towards him. And finally, bewilderment turned to wonder.

"Penance," the little one whispered, "you're alive. You're not _dead_."

Angeal was so shocked he didn't know what to think. "Do we know each other?" he murmured, caught off guard by what the boy had just said. The boy was speaking to him as though he was a long lost friend who had just been found again. And what, he thought with revulsion, was up with the way the boy was addressing him? What kind of martyrish-sounding name was _Penance?_ "I don't recall ever meeting you before. I'd remember someone like you. My name's Angeal, and I'm..." Here, he hesitated, stopping short. He didn't feel he could call himself a 'SOLDIER 1st' when his loyalties were no longer with Shinra, and he would end up scaring the boy if he introduced himself as a monster.

"I'm looking for a friend," he decided on saying to dodge the uncomfortable issue. "I came through the Lifestream to find him. His name's Zack and he's slightly older than you are. What is your name?"

The boy smiled cruelly at the question and the hair on Angeal's neck stood up on end, for the sneer that spread across the kid's face was cold and evil. It made him think of Jenova, leering up at him from Cloud's binder, and the oiliness of the smirk made him feel as if he was in the same room as President Shinra. "My name's Kadaj," the youth fiercely said. "But Hojo and his friends call me Sephiroth Clone 1.1. And if I ever get out of this place, those assholes are gonna be begging me to let them keep their heads on."

Angeal stood there in stunned silence. Hojo, it seemed, was capable of doing viler things than messing with peoples' DNA and making them gravely ill. Performing hideous experiments on children put the Professor at an all-time low. He could only picture what Sephiroth Clone 1.1 - _Kadaj,_ he corrected himself - had gone through, spending his entire his life locked away in some underground lab. His soul ached as his eyes swept over the scars on the child's long, swan-like neck, and he briefly wondered if it had been medical neglect that had landed the boy here or if the child had been killed in a fit of rage. Something terrible had to have happened in order for Kadaj to have ended up floating in the Lifestream.

"How did you die?" he asked Kadaj, shaking his head sadly, his attention drawn to additional scars on the boy's hands.

Kadaj tensed and jammed his hands in his pockets. The scars vanished and the boy darkly laughed. "The resident scientist decided to give us lethal injection when he returned to the mansion and saw that Vincent had ransacked the library," he acidically said. "He took me out 1st and shot me all full of drugs. But I managed to wrap my hands around his throat and snap his widdle neck before the drugs killed me. I wish I'd been awake to see it; watchin' him die would have been very FUN. I hope I'm revived. I'd love to be able to kill another scientist, so I can experience what I missed out on."

Angeal felt like crying - it was not every day you got to hear a fifteen-year-old boy talking like a sociopath. "What do you mean 'revived'?" the one-winged SOLDIER said, with a swift intake of breath. "Aren't you dead?"

"Yes and no. I seem to be refusin' to dissolve into the Lifestream like the others. As long as my body still exists, there's always the possibility I can come back." Kadaj laughed once again and made for an enormous aquamarine rock lying on its side in the corner. Angeal followed him, against his better judgment, and was greeted to a chilling sight.

General Sephiroth was sleeping beneath the translucent rock, his hands folded across his bare chest in a classic funerary position. His beautiful silver-hair was fanning out around him, spreading out like he was underwater, and his shredded coat was sloppily bunched up beneath him. Masamune was tucked under the crook of his right arm and in its hilt glowed a large pyramid-shaped stone, shiny as onyx and black as basalt-lava rock. An enormous black wing curled around his body, covering his stomach, legs and groin, and foot-long feathers were strewn around him, like rose-petals tossed on an altar at a wake. His boots poked out from beneath the tips of the enormous primary feathers and Angeal somberly noticed that every muscle in his best friend's body was still. "What - is - this?" the honorable man exclaimed, splaying his fingers across the top of the mako crystal. "Seph can't be dead. I just saw him on the evening news with Hojo! The person in the crystal has to be a Sephiroth clone!"

Kadaj sidled up to him. "Does it look like a clone?" the boy leered. "It's not. This's all that remains of Sephiroth's past-self."

The boy pointed upwards, cutting Angeal off before he could ask what the hell that meant. "The other one's up there, by the way," he somberly told Angeal. "The Planet ripped his soul from his body. It was the only way it could send him back to 'fix things.'"

Angeal went still. "What damage? What do you mean it was the only way?" the black-haired man murmured, following Kadaj's gaze. His face darkened as he made out the shape of leather-clad legs dangling through the mess of branches, and bronzed arms spilling through the foliage. One of the arms, he noticed, was covered by a long, ratty piece of cloth, and it looked like there was something barbed and jagged protruding from the shoulder of the person in the tree. "And who is that up there?"

Kadaj floated up to the labyrinth of roots and pushed some of the dead leaves aside to give him his answer. The head of the dead person toppled backwards over the branches, and Angeal was horror-struck to find himself staring into the stricken blue eyes of a much more mature looking Cloud Strife. He hastily moved away from the hardened, mako-drenched blond bangs and lifeless hands. In his rush to get away, his arm bumped against the bizarre weapons harness dangling from the corpse's back. It toppled to the ground and splatted across the rocky ground in a blob of smelly, decomposing leather. The swordsman's shoulder pauldron followed it a moment later, and the barbed thing he had noticed earlier unfurled to its full length. Angeal's eyes widened as a massive, leathery bat wing stretched towards the floor. Kadaj turned to him as he stared at the withered wing in a daze.

"Hojo cut it outta his past-self when he was operating on him in Nibelheim," the boy explained. "And while he was fighting us and dealing with Geostigma, it grew back. The Planet reclaimed him before he could find out about it, but I'm sure when you return to your friends with Zack, you'll tell his living-self what you've seen. You always were a tattletale. It's too bad I'm dead and you can't take me with you. I'd love to see you break the bad news to his living self. It'll horrify him to know that he was a monster, in his past life, and that he'll become a monster again, if his soul's ever rejoined with his old body."

Angeal opened and closed his mouth several times and then slumped against the slab. Kadaj was making his head spin, throwing out mysterious-sounding words like "Geostigma," and the stuff the boy was saying about the corpses in the cave was freaking him out. He glanced warily at the little tyrant, gathering up the courage to ask him to confirm a terrible theory he had about the bodies. If the boy answered, "yes," then he would have undeniable proof that there were such things as reincarnation and time-travel. "The Cloud I know's the man up there, isn't he?" he inquired suddenly, his deep, powerful voice trembling. "The Planet separated his soul and body - and sent him back - as a sixteen-year-old boy, didn't it?"

_What do you think. She sent him back to be your hero. And sent me back as a lab experiment to punish me for all the trouble I caused in Edge the **1st** time I was alive. _

_Self-righteous, vindictive eco-bitch. If I ever find someone stupid enough to revive me, I'm gonna fly down to that shrine in Banora, trash the place, and teach someone a lesson! I'll make her pay for killing me twice and putting me through Sephiroth Cloning Project hell!_ Kadaj gave him a wounded, scathing look, refusing to dignify his question with a spoken answer.

"So it's true?" Angeal gulped, judging from the glare the volatile child gave him, that he had guessed the truth. Or at least part of it. He numbly picked up the dead man's shoulder guard and turned it over in his hands, trying to get a feel for what Cloud had been like in his past-life. He inspected the smudged handwriting on the inside, hoping that it would provide him with some clues. The alternative would be asking Cloud himself what kind of man he was, and he doubted Cloud would be very forthcoming, when the blond went to great lengths to keep the world at arm's length.

"What can you tell me about him?" he sadly said, wondering if Cloud had been trying to lead nosy people, who wanted to get to know him, astray with all the curfew cutting and sneaking around he'd been doing; great way, he inwardly sighed, to keep everyone from finding out what the real Cloud Strife was like. "I'm guessing that he was some kind of reluctant hero? Someone's written 'Commander Strife' on the inside of his shoulder armor in permanent marker, and he's tried to cover it up with labels."

Kadaj scowled and lunged for the shiny shoulder pauldron. Angeal made no move to recover it as the sulking brat scooted to the other side of the cave. The boy could keep it for all Angeal cared; it wasn't worth getting into an argument over what happened to Cloud's old armor. "Dead-Brother turned the position down when it was offered to him," the young demon said, crushing the shoulder-guard to his chest. "He didn't feel he deserved it with all the people he let down and insisted it go to the WRO guy with the talking cat. President Shinra was _pissed_ when he said no and thought that he was being rude and snotty. It's too bad the Planet sent him back before they could sit down and work things out. That Shinra guy would have gotten to hear the sob story of the year. You I'm sure will want to hear it too, so make sure you ask him about what happened to Big Sister in the Forgotten City. And don't forget to grill him about Sephiroth and Nibelheim, Penance. Dead-Brother's the reason your beloved general ended up here."

 _"What're you saying?"_ Angeal demanded, feeling a knot form in his throat. _Was Kadaj implying that Cloud Strife had caused Sephiroth's death in the past?_

He rose slowly and forced suddenly unwilling, leaden feet to carry him back to the crystal in the corner. His wing swished from side to side as he hesitantly leaned over the rock to examine the lifeless general; the movement was reminiscent of a frightened cat thrashing its tail back and forth. Shudders racked his body as his eyes fell upon a long white scar running down Sephiroth's throat, and nausea rose in him as he got a good look at the damage that had been done to his dead friend's head. His heart hammered loudly inside his chest as brown, dried out chunks of brain matter peered up at him, and shattered pieces of skull peeked out at him from beneath shimmering silver hair. Kadaj watched emotionlessly as his gaze shifted from the battered corpse in the crystal to the body hanging from the tree. The little brat hovered over him like a gargoyle as disbelief flashed across his face. How did this happen, he wanted to ask as he backed painfully away from the crystal.

"Explain this to me," he said instead, his voice choked and inaudible. The sight was so dreadful, he found himself not knowing where to begin with his questions. "Tell me _who_ did this to him and tell me why Genesis and I weren't there to prevent them from killing him."

Kadaj noted the emphasis Angeal placed on _who,_ and made a clucking sound with his tongue. Penance, it appeared, was having a hard time accepting that little Cloud Strife was a brutal, efficient killer. The one-winged man probably thought that he was making these terrible things up about Cloud to slander someone he'd had bad experiences with in the past. And he didn't blame him for being so suspicious. Rule #1 of life was be wary of strangers.

"Genesis was flying around, trying to elude Deepground and find a cure," the angelic child explained, "and you were already dead when this occurred. And neither of you would have done shit to stop Dead Brother if you'd been there and seen what Jenova was doing to your friend. You probably would have stepped in and offered to finish Sephiroth yourself to give him a quick death. Dead Brother wasn't thinking about what would be best for Sephiroth when he put him out of his misery. What he did to him was very painful. Take my word for it. I've been on the receiving end too, y'know, of Dead Brother's sword."

Angeal reacted like he had been hit. He paled, regretting that he hadn't been content with the explanation Kadaj had given him, and had looked closer. His body swayed to and fro like a willow reed in a storm, as he steered himself away from thinking about the past. He knew that he would drive himself crazy if he sat there, imagining what dreadful things might have happened to him and his friends in their past lives.

Translucent dragonflies flit about him as he bent his head, feeling baffled - overwhelmed - and totally alone. It was incomprehensible to him that Fate could be so cruel to him - to Sephiroth - and to Zack, and it was agonizing to him to know that he had failed to protect people he cared about by selfishly suiciding in his past-life. His hands moved to cover his ears as he struggled to make sense out of the most recent blow he'd been dealt. And his pain seemed to spread out and fill the entire cavern, smothering everyone. When at last he turned to speak to Kadaj, he looked as though he was bearing the entire weight of the world upon his shoulders.

"Why did Cloud kill Sephiroth?" he asked, fearing what the brat would tell him. It sounded like Sephiroth had been in considerable pain, the way Kadaj had described his death. "Was he near death?"

A long silence ensued. At last, Kadaj said, "Near death, no. Just batshit insane. Your precious general was running around, acting all crazy, with Jenova poisonin' his mind and body. He offed about - hmmm, let's say thirty, no make it forty - people before Dead Brother came in all _grrr_ and took him out. Blondie went all samurai on him and stabbed him in the stomach. Then threw him down the reactor. Broke his neck and gutted him like a fish! Like I said, painful."

The boy tapped his finger against his head, as though he had just remembered something. "I don't know why Dead Brother didn't take a gun and shoot him in the back of the head," the child continued, with a psycho-analytical tone of voice that Angeal found absolutely appalling. "Would've been a lot quicker and less messy - no wait, I forgot. Dead Brother's the worst marksman in the world and doesn't know how to do shit with a gun. He's god-awful. So, it had to be done with a sword! Oh, and don't get me started on what he did to Sephiroth and me with Omni-slash Version 5 during the Geostigma crisis. Omnislash SUCKS."

The brat rambled on, saying something about how Omnislash Version 5 was cruel and unusual punishment, and ought to be outlawed. Angeal sank to his knees with a shattered, blank look on his face as the menace vented about Cloud. He leaned stiffly over the mako-crystal that held his friend's remains, the pressure building up inside him, directly below his ribcage causing his body to ache. Sweat broke out across his forehead as he peered through the clear stone, his tortured eyes narrowing on the mass of scars peeking out from beneath the feathery-plumage covering the corpse's chest. The Buster Sword fell from his hands and clattered to the floor as his eyes moved to the clearly broken neck, and he made an uncomfortable, rough sound that told Kadaj none of what he was feeling. How, he grieved, his expression flickering between refusal and sorrow, could something like this have occurred? Sephiroth, he had always believed, could overcome anything. Apparently, he inwardly sobbed, he'd been very, very wrong about that, and wrong as well about how his friend would react if someone ever pushed him over the edge.

"What caused Seph to go insane?" he whispered, now afraid of what would happen to them when the tainted cells inside his friend's body woke up. He gestured to his own hated wing. "Did he go crazy when all this stuff "kicked in?"

"No, he didn't," Kadaj cried, bored now with ranting about Cloud. There were only so many cuss words he could invent within a day to describe the blond. "Hojo made him go nuts. The douche put him in a funk and made him doubt who he was. He hit rock bottom after Hojo tricked him into thinking Jenova was his birth mummy, and then he got exposed to her. Caught the crazy, homicidal bitch bug from her, with his defenses all low and all, and went postal; did some very bad, very dishonorable things. You would've died of horror, seeing what he did. Women, children and _babies_ got their heads chopped off."

The prat stopped talking and cocked that lovely head of his curiously at Angeal, leaving him with an invitation to ask what atrocities Sephiroth had committed; Angeal didn't take him up on it.

The older man walked about the cavern like a man stumbling into a dream - feeling uncomfortable, helpless and dwarfed by everything he was seeing. His mind kept going back to what Kadaj had said about Sephiroth being deluded into thinking that Jenova was the woman he'd died giving birth to him. How in the world, he boggled, could his intelligent, reasonable friend have fallen for a lie like that, and seen himself in that loathsome creature?

Nothing about Jenova, Angeal thought, was remotely human, and it had been immediately obvious to him when that photo of her had fallen out, that she was bad to the bone and rotten to the core. Why hadn't Seph been able to see the same things? And since when, he wondered, did Seph take Hojo's word over that of his friends? What had Hojo done to suddenly become so trustworthy?

"What can I do to prevent this?" he slowly said, trying to recall if Sephiroth had ever made reference to Jenova in the past in any of their conversations. He couldn't remember Seph ever doing so, which gave him some hope; it would be easier to explain everything to Sephiroth if the general wasn't already thinking of Jenova as his Mother. "And what was the Geostigma crisis?"

Kadaj puffed up like a big balloon-fish. "You can prevent him from going nuts, numb-nut, by keeping him away from her, and killing her before he finds her! Give Hojo an acid bath and take him to meet his real mother. Dead Brother'll be able to show you how to get to Lucrecia's cave."

"Are you saying Sephiroth's birth mother is still alive and Hojo lied about her dying?" Angeal's heart beat harder than it had ever beat before and his chest tightened. A tremor shot through 1st Sergeant Hewley's body as he pondered this startling revelation. A meeting with this Lucrecia, he mused, would make it impossible for Hojo to convince Sephiroth that Jenova was his mother. But such a meeting, he knew, would also lead to tragedy if it took place at this point in Sephiroth's life. Sephiroth, he grimaced, was in no condition to learn the truth about Lucrecia in his present mentally unbalanced state. If they were to take him to her now, he would go home and lash out at the people who'd separated him from his mother.

Never having seen Sephiroth in a true rage before, the honorable man had no idea what the general would do to exact revenge upon the people involved in the cover-up. He was 95% certain, though, it would be violent, because he and Genesis had had to talk Sephiroth out of hurting Hojo in the past. And having heard Kadaj's story, Angeal now considered "massacring the entire science department" to be in the realm of possibility. His good friend, he now saw, had some real anger issues. Add illicitly obtained drugs and emotional instability to the mix, and you more than quintupled the chances of things ending on a tragic note.

Best, Angeal heavily sighed, to wait until Seph had become well again and ditched the drugs before laying Lucrecia and Jenova on him. Some ways of convincing Seph to get professional help for his problems, the shaken 1st decided, was also going to be needed, and that conversation, Angeal expected, would go just as badly as it had gone before. If Seph tore into him and refused to meet with a psychiatrist, Angeal vowed he would do the unthinkable, and get other people involved. Genesis was very good at "persuading" folks to do see things his way, as was his own mother, Gillian. Dragging them in, however, would be a huge betrayal of trust, and put his friendship with Sephiroth at an all-time low. Unless it became absolutely necessary, bringing them in wasn't something Angeal wanted to do. Maybe this time, he allowed himself to hope, Sephiroth would have an epiphany, admit that he was abusing prescription pills, and seek out treatment.

Unlikely such a thing would happen, Angeal lamented.

"What's Omnislash 5?" he unthinkingly asked.

Bad move. Kadaj drew Souba and pointed it at his larynx. "Dead Brother's super attack. And if you ask me again about that or Geostigma," the child warned, "I'm gonna take my sword and put it through your face, Penance! I don't want to talk about how I got killed by Dead Brother. It's not a happy memory from my past-life."

 _Okay - I'll ask Cloud then,_ Angeal shrugged, not surprised that Kadaj didn't want to discuss his defeat. Sephiroth, Jr., he'd noticed, only gave out information when it made him look good, he could trash-talk people he didn't like, or there was shock value to be had. That would have to change before Kadaj got revived or they would have the boy go walking up to Palmer telling the tub of lard to audition for the reality TV show where the person who lost the most weight won 1 million gil. And he could only imagine what Kadaj would say to Scarlet if the two of them ever met. The brat would no doubt do something atrocious, like call her the company slut to her face and suggest she had slept her way to the top. (Which, by the way, she had done.)

"Why don't you tell me about Deepground?" he said, resisting the temptation to ask Kadaj what he had done to make Cloud kill him. Zack would freak if he infuriated the boy and showed up looking like he'd been beaten to a bloody pulp. "I've never heard of them."

The brat froze, and Angeal feared that he had accidentally chosen another taboo topic. He got ready, bracing himself for the temper tantrum from hell. Kadaj, however, just laughed, and put his vicious little sword away. Going all stabbity on Angeal would have to wait...for now.

"So ya wanna know about Deepground eh?" the fiend said, perking up at the name. "In my past life, they were part of a secret project conducted by Hojo. The leaders were psychos and did _very_ bad things. And they were very obsessed with Genesis, and his power. They started going after him, when he was hell-bent on getting a cure from Hollander, and caught up to him when Zack kicked his butt in Banora. They loaded him onto a chopper and asked him to join them, but he said no, go to hell, and sealed himself up where they wouldn't be able to find him."

"And Deepground now?" Angeal inquired, sad but not surprised that there were even more victims of Hojo's cruelty out there.

Kadaj chuckled at how shocked Angeal looked. "Crippled, in your present lifetime. Hojo got pissed and put 'em in stasis. Their stasis tubes are scattered around the Planet. As long as no one stumbles across 'em and wakes 'em up, there won't be a repeat of the Deepground mess," he said, straightening up and bouncing on the tree root he was sitting on.

The sour-scowl on his face suddenly vanished and his eyes grew huge as saucers. He rocked back and forth with dark delight, imagining all the wonderful games that he would get to play with Shinra's secret SOLDIERs if he ever got revived. What fun, he brightened, it would be to dig up Deepground and make Azul the arrogant beg for mercy as he cut his ego down a notch (or two, depending on how sadistic he felt like being at the time). What a blast it would be to strangle Rosso the Crimson to death, and make her dance from a noose fashioned from her own pretty red hair - oh wait, he couldn't do that. He'd forgotten: _this_ time around, there would be no Rosso the Crimson. Fate or Hojo had intervened, and she had died a premature death on the good Professor's operating table.).

 _Great stroke of luck for Dead Brother. Bad stroke for me,_ the little tyrant pouted. He folded his arms, disgusted that the Planet was cock-blocking his grand plans. "Oh well," he declared, stabbing his sword at an imaginary foe, "there's still Weiss."

 _And Weiss,_ Kadaj excitedly thought, would be a thousand times more fun to kill than Rosso. He turned to Angeal, smiling demonically as images, only one who has died can see, flickered through the swirls of Lifestream energy writhing about them. He chuckled darkly, amused that some of the most horrible memories from their past-lives were playing behind Angeal's back. For a moment, he considered telling the hilariously honorable, easily shocked man what was going on, and describing all the grisly, immoral things he was seeing. It would be very funny to have Angeal cringe and stutter when he told him about Weiss abducting poor, innocent citizens and Rosso shredding kids on the battlefield. And watching Angeal get his feathers all kerfuffled when he learned about the Omega incident would be _priceless_. But beating Angeal over the head with all these nasty memories, however, was easier said than done.

The heart-melting, kicked look Angeal was giving him made Kadaj decide to restrain himself, and save the horror for another time. The silver-haired terror had the feeling that there would be plenty of opportunities to mess with Penance's mind in the future. After all, this was _Angeal_ they were talking about: Angeal the Goofy, Angeal the Noble and Valiant, staunch protector of loud, obnoxious poetry-reciting asshats and Puppies. And friend to poor, neglected Sephiroth clones who wanted for... well, for _everything_.

Angeal, the brat just knew, would come back for him, now that he had seen how lamentable his condition was, and rescue him, Loz and Yazoo from the Shinra Mansion basement. The kindhearted SOLDIER would bring their comatose bodies to Sephiroth, and the general would take one look at them, recognize their kinship, and melt with paternal love and affection. The three of them would be revived by the god whom had once cruelly used them and nursed back to health. They would be adored, respected, treated like little princes, and allowed to do whatever they damned please. And anyone who tried to reign them in and tell them to "stop that" would have to answer to them and Sephiroth. It would be -

"Perfect," Kadaj grinned, his eyes glazing over with pleasure. "I'm so glad you reminded me about Deepground _._ Now I have something to look forward to, I'm going to have such a good time with them when I'm reborn."

Angeal groaned in response and stared helplessly at the confining aquamarine walls around them; the sadness in his patrician features heartrending to see; the denial in his posture devastating; and the weariness about him thick, heavy and draining. This was the 1st time he had ever dealt with a teenager who had such severe mental and emotional issues, and he was having a difficult time handling the situation. He swallowed rapidly in succession, debating whether he should attempt to reason with Kadaj or turn his back on the young sociopath, and simply walk out of the cave. Concern for the boy's well-being won, as big green eyes moved to engage his own, and a small gloved hand hesitantly reached towards him. It would be monstrous and inexcusable, the honorable man chided himself, to leave a bitter and scared child in a cave full of corpses; left to rot here, Kadaj would have no hope of recovery.

"I need to go," he wearily intoned, taking a step towards the door. "I've got to help Zack. You should come with me and get out of this place. It's a terrible place to be. We could find a meadow or a garden for you to play in. You would be safer there than in here."

To his surprise, Kadaj made no move to follow him. Angeal fought hard to keep his shock from registering as the pint-sized terror stretched out like a big cat beneath the tree, and cradled Cloud's shoulder pauldron. The goddamn brat, he now saw, had no interest in leaving this godforsaken cave, and had been trying to tug at his heartstrings with all the lip trembling, eye-lash batting and quivering. The boy, it seemed, was as skillful a manipulator as Sephiroth.

Angeal rolled his eyes and bit back the scathing comment he wanted to make. Sarcasm would just lead to conflict and he had a feeling in his weakened state that he would be no match for the temperamental child.

"Why," he asked, "don't you want to - "

" - I do," Kadaj cut Angeal off, "but I can't." His eyes filled as white light poured through the mass of tree roots, illuminating the dungeon. How he yearned to leave and follow Angeal out into the sunny mountains outside his cave. Freedom had never felt so close, yet so far away. "This place is where people who aren't ready to join the Lifestream go. My brothers're still in stasis. They're sick. If they die, they'll end up here. And I don't want them to find themselves all alone."

Angeal nodded silently, reluctantly accepting the boy's reasons. Kadaj needed to be with his brothers, and they with him.

"What do you call this place?" he burst out, his gentle soul rebelling at the thought of additional children finding their way here.

Kadaj grimaced at the bewildered SOLDIER. He extended his hand and swept it in a circle through the air, motioning to the colossal aquamarine walls, the translucent dragonflies flitting about them, and the moss spreading, like ivy, up the sides of the cave. His eyes narrowed as he pointed to the bones of behemoths, fossilized within the mako, and streams of rainwater, dribbling down the mountain. Angeal blinked in wonder as he gestured to all the long, winding cave exits hidden behind decades of foliage. The dungeon they were in was truly a labyrinth and any attempt to leave the area they were in would likely result in them both becoming hopelessly lost.

"It's called the Whirlwind Maze," the boy said, lip curling disdainfully at the name. "It sank into the Planet when the Weapons woke up in my past-life, and has become the heart of the Lifestream. Here, past and present meet, and you can see into dead peoples' memories, if you're dead like me. Really useful if you want to find out about yourself. It's how I know everything that happened to me in the past, and how I know all about you, Penance."

Angeal stiffened, realizing now why he had been sent to this gruesome cave. This memory-steeped cave, he surmised, would lead him to Zack, and Kadaj had been brought here by the Planet to make him believe in time-travel and to explain things to him. There was no way, he sadly thought with a shake of his gorgeous head, that he would have been able to figure things out on his own without the help of a guide. He would have ended up sitting here, wracking his brains, while Zack suffered.

"Can you teach me how to see into other peoples' memories?" he bleakly said. "Zack is living out memories from his past-life! If I can get inside his memories, then I'll be able to get through to him and help him. Please - "

 ** _"What's in it for me?"_** Kadaj demanded. The little brat frowned - defiant, cold and unsatisfied. "What do I get?"

 _Excuse me?_ Angeal steamed. His cobalt-blue eyes narrowed with disapproval and his eyebrows became thick, long hardened barbs. Kadaj smiled sweetly, the picture of perfect innocence, as he put his hands on his hips and thrust out his chest, looking like an indignant, ruffled up bird.

"Would you care to repeat what you just said?" he sternly asked, the corners of his lips turning downwards into a scowl. He glared daggers at Kadaj as the boy blinked coyly at him, and went, "Who, me?"

"I'm having a hard time believing that you feel you should be rewarded for doing the right thing. If your best friend arrived here, frightened and upset, would you insist that she do you a favor before you could comfort her and explain to her where she was?" He blanched when Kadaj's head bobbled cheerfully up and down. The boy's attitude was nothing short of appalling. "Who taught you to have such a selfish outlook?" he angrily said. "Did you learn it from the scientist you strangled?"

The brat pointed at Angeal and beamed. "No. You taught me," the intolerable child cooed. "Every year, when your contract comes up for renewal, you go to Lazard and demand higher pay to do the right thing."

Angeal's face turned beet red. He regarded Kadaj with confusion and stood there for a long moment, not sure how to respond to _that_. It was impossible to tell from the way Kadaj spoke whether the boy was saying these things on purpose to piss him off or if he genuinely believed them. He had the feeling that it was the latter of the two, for Kadaj was looking at him very gravely and very seriously. And there was no fire or sass in the young demon's eyes.

"Kadaj," he struggled, hoping that picking up his pay stubs was not causing Planet-wide juvenile delinquency, "the only reason I ask for higher pay each year is so there'll be extra money for me to support my mother. She's elderly, no longer works, and lives by herself; any additional gil I send her, makes things easier for her. Money never crosses my mind when I go on missions and help people. Refusing to help people unless you get a reward is rude, dishonorable, immoral, monstrous - "

"It's funny to have a monster lecture me about morality." Kadaj interrupted, before Angeal could go into full-blown dreams, pride and honor mode. Death by Omnislash would be more pleasant than listening to Angeal go on about doing unto others as you would do unto yourself. He seized the now-distressed man by the arm and started dragging him down one of the side tunnels. Angeal resisted and tugged against him, thinking that they were racing off into the maze, and he was forced to tighten his grip.

"You're so full of shit. Let the humans worry about character-education and stop fighting me," he snapped, as Angeal jerked away from him and gave him a face full of feathers. "I have something I wanna show you at the top of the cave. Something that you're not going to see if you turn around and go racing back to the tree. I believe it'll reunite you with your annoying Puppy."

"And I suppose," Angeal dryly said, "you will want something in return for this?"

The malignant grin Kadaj gave him practically promised imminent death. "You can repay me by telling Sephiroth that there are poor, unfortunate children in the Shinra mansion basement," the boy replied as they resumed their climb up a dreary, mossy tunnel. "Bring him to Nibelheim and take him to us. I'll consider us even when we've been revived, fussed over by pretty nurses, and have everything our black little hearts desire. With you and Sephiroth looking after us, I imagine we'll be pretty well off."

A look of lively horror spread across Angeal's face at these words. The 1st winced as he tried to imagine impatient, taciturn Sephiroth trying to deal with a pack of unbalanced boys. It would be a nightmare for the general, having to make repeated trips down to the police station to bail them out of jail, and it would be god-awful for him having to make sure that they never crossed paths with impressionable Zack and the Turks. Car keys and sharp pointy objects would have to be locked up and kept away from them. And they would have to find a nanny who was crazy enough to serve as a role model for the boys and who was physically fit enough to survive all the hacking and slashing the fiends would be doing. Cissnei, perhaps, could be talked into the job, he thought.

Haltingly he said, "I'll - let - Sephiroth know about you. But I can't promise you things will work out. Bringing someone back from the Lifestream is very hard to do and Sephiroth and I aren't used to having children in our lives."

He came to a dead stop, expecting his dream-destroying words to provoke a fight. Kadaj, to his astonishment, merely nodded and continued to plod up the tunnel, handling the bad news calmly.

Angeal was floored. Perhaps, he mused, he'd been mistaken about the child's emotional state. Perhaps Kadaj was sane, after all, and all he needed was a little tender loving care to get him to stop acting like a sociopath. It was only natural, Angeal reassured himself, for an abandoned, mistreated little boy to lash out and try to act tough. Maybe reviving the boys would not lead to the end of the world like he feared. For all he knew, they could turn out to be good, considerate children who minded their manners and did none of the rambunctious, rowdy things that teenagers are known to do. Hell, they might even end up being a positive influence on vindictive, temperamental Genesis if they acted as maturely as Kadaj was acting now.

"How many of you are there in the basement?" Angeal asked Kadaj in a kinder tone than the one he had previously used. Hopefully, no quintuplets, sextuplets or octuplets, he begged the Planet. "It'd be nice to know so I can have adequate quarters set up for you."

The little smart-ass turned around and smirked. Angeal would pay for that comment he had inadvertently made about having no room for children in his life!

"There's three of us," the young lab rat eagerly said, "and we'd rather live with Sephiroth than you, no offense. It'd be hard for us to be parted from our family and we'd lose our minds if we had to see you every day and listen to you lecture us on dreams, pride and honor. We don't like people trying to brainwash us with character counts crap, and you would hate seeing what we do to people when we get really, really mad! My brothers didn't like it when Dead-Brother killed me, so they took Velvet Nightmare and Dual Hound and let him have it."

"Have you thought about what you would like to do if you're revived?" Angeal cut in before the tyrant could describe the nasty things that they had done to Cloud. He knew that if he heard them, that it would damper his desire to help Kadaj. A change of topic, he decided, was absolutely necessary.

He looked down at the rocky dusty, rocky trail, sorrow etching his fair features. Kadaj, he winced, was even more mentally unstable than he had imagined. The child, he lamented, would need extensive treatment in a mental facility, and months of psychological counseling in order to become a happy, well-adjusted, non-ass-kicking part of society.

"You and your brothers will have to go to school. I could make arrangements with the chocobo breeder in Kalm for you. His son teaches. If you and your brothers were to help take care of the birds and do chores, you could get room and board for free."

Kadaj shot Angeal a dark glare, thinking that the winged man had lost it. "Hell no," he exclaimed, shaking his fist angrily. "You did not just suggest that my brothers and I scoop poop and toss greens to birds. I see some things don't change. You're as crazy as ever, Penance."

He thrust out his jaw, clamped his mouth shut and refused to say anything more. This was just fine with Angeal, and they climbed the rest of the way in silence, with Kadaj occasionally stopping to chip a trail-mark into the cavern wall with his peculiar-looking sword. The rumbling sound that had unnerved Angeal when he had woken up grew louder, the higher they went, and shimmering stalactites loomed menacingly above them. Foul-smelling black water dripped down on them as they pushed ferns aside, and blue-lichen on the ceiling glowed faintly. Wind-wings buzzed about them like gnats and mist rose mysteriously out of the gravel to greet them. Roots coiled about their ankles, tripping them up, and slime on narrow footholds made their journey precarious. They listened nervously as ghostly Ironites chittered at them and the wind howled through cracks in the cave. The sound of the wind, beating against the rocks, grew louder as they entered a tight, narrow passage, and the skulls of prehistoric beasts grinned ghoulishly from the shadows.

Kadaj stopped at a fork in the path. "Before we go one damn step further," he firmly told Angeal, "I want you to promise that there will be no school, and that you won't make us do community service. This means no chores, volunteer work, or rescuing little old ladies from purse snatchers and burning buildings. And absolutely no helping out chocobo stables. You also must agree to let us carry our weapons around, 'cause eventually we're gonna run into someone who's jealous that we have it all. Without our weapons, we won't stand a chance, and will get hurt really badly."

He hunched his shoulders and batted his eyes, doing his best to look small, innocent and helpless.

Angeal smiled sadly at the brat. He didn't have the heart to tell Kadaj that he planned on destroying their personal weapons before they were revived, and giving all their powerful offensive materia to Genesis to hold. And he didn't think that he should mention that he planned on installing locks on all the sheathed swords in the apartment, either. The no community service thing, however, he could agree to, no problem. The last thing he and Sephiroth needed, he dryly thought, were charities going on strike, because they were being terrorized by three psycho boys.

"I promise not to send you to boarding school or make you lift a hand to help anyone," he stiffly replied, at the end of his patience now.

"Will we be allowed to have our weapons?" Kadaj exclaimed, moving to block the path. "I will turn around and leave you stranded here, if you don't swear..."

Angeal shrugged at the threat; he longer had any fear of becoming lost in the cave with trail markers clearly indicating which way to go. "I believe I can figure the rest out on my own," he calmly said. "Thank you for taking me this far."

He pushed the stunned boy out of the way and headed down the right fork, relying on his instincts to guide him in the right direction. Kadaj let out an indignant cry and charged after him, and Angeal doubled his pace, walking as quickly as being hunched over in a narrow space would allow. He unfurled his wing as the grimy passage opened, determined not to let the pest slip in front of him and block his way. Gremlins screamed threateningly at him as he extended the unnatural appendage, and he responded by hurling fireballs at them. Hell Firaga put them into a panic, and they scampered about, leaving tents and X-potions behind. Dragon riders snatched the frightened creatures up as they flung themselves about the tunnel, and pulled them into holes in the ground to be devoured alive. One by one, the monsters vanished, and the mountain trembled at the sound of their shrill, heart piercing screams. Rocks came loose and ricocheted off the walls, as the passage shook, and debris and ferns rained down around him. He threw up a Big Guard to protect himself from getting brained and kept on going, cutting his way through cob webs and rotting foliage. He hopped across a stagnant, underground stream and darted past the corpse of a massive, bio-mechanical creature; the monster was covered with red and black chitin, had bizarre elongated limbs, and a misshapen head. He ignored it and went on; eventually he saw white light, coming in through a hole up ahead. His heart leaped. He had made it.

Kadaj came racing up to him as he re-entered the cave with the tree. The little brat stared at him venomously as he looked down at the impenetrable canopy of roots below them. "I was hoping you'd trip and fall on my sword," the boy nastily said, pointing his double-bladed odachi at Angeal. "You deserve it, after treating me that way, you self-righteous - HEY! Are you ignoring me, you -"

"Where - are we?" Angeal asked, his attention drawn to a big buckler, dangling from the tree root over his head. He stood beneath it, anxiously staring at it. The shield was round, made from black steel, and trimmed with a beautiful bronze border. Six sharp burnished tusks jutted out of the rim, making it look like the shield was enclosed within a star, and a steel monster head decorated the center as a hideous heraldry. Gruesomely sculpted snake-like fangs and puffy, acrylic reptilian cheeks greeted Angeal's eyes as he shifted closer for a better view of the terrifying adornment.

"What is this?" he murmured, nervously placing a gloved hand on one of the long pointed spikes. "Is this - what you - wanted to show me? And why do I feel as though I've seen this before?"

Kadaj chuckled as Angeal lost his grasp on the shield and it clattered to the ground. "Because you have seen it before, dumbass," the terror could not resist gloating. "It belonged to you in your past-life, and when you died, it came here. I found it and hung it up in this tree, because looking at it all the time made me feel sad. It's such a depressing shield."

A tense silence followed. Angeal finally broke it, saying, "I'm having a hard time believing this was mine. I don't normally fight with shields."

"You do as Angeal Penance," cut in Kadaj. "When you're in that form, you do lot of things you wouldn't normally do, my perpetually molting friend. And ummm, lame name for an ass-kicking form. Couldn't you have come up with something less sorry-sounding?"

Angeal's lips tightened at that comment. He lowered his eyes, put his hands over his ears and walked around like a condemned man. His face was blank as a statue's as he paced up and down the trail, attempting to find meaning in Kadaj's words. Why, he wondered, glancing helplessly at the shield at his feet, had he given himself a terrible name like _Angeal Penance?_ Had he done it to martyr himself? How come Kadaj referred to Penance as his "other form"? Was he going to turn into an even more inhuman-looking monster? And what was all this talk about him doing things he "wouldn't normally do"? Was Kadaj implying that he had hurt people when he had been Penance, and acted violently?

"What did I do as Angeal Penance," he said, barely managing to force the loathsome name out. He held out his hand bleakly to Kadaj, his sadness deepening; in that moment, he looked more human than he had ever looked before, and his pain felt real and palpable. "I did something to Zack, didn't I?"

Zack, he realized with a jolt, had to be what tied all this together.

"He was a victim, wasn't he?"

The boy's eyes blazed passionately and Angeal knew it was so. He stiffened and stumbled back, stunned into complete dumbness for a few seconds. His mouth was open and he looked like a porcelain doll, fragile and ready to shatter. He bowed his head, his features full of self-loathing and disgust. He gazed wearily at Kadaj, needing to know more, but dreading what would happen if he asked. His heart beat against the palm of his hand as he brought his locked fingers up to his chest. And Kadaj gazed at him as his teeth champed together and his cheeks swelled, pitying him.

"Yes, he was a victim," he heard the boy say. "You were too cowardly to kill yourself, so you absorbed a bunch of critters, turned yourself into a monster and forced him to fight you. He took you down to save you from the science department, and spent the next five years of his life grieving and begging for forgiveness. You hurt him worse than Hojo."

"And what about this shield?" Angeal demanded. "How is it supposed to help me find Zack? You expect me to use a weapon I used to hurt people to - "

 _"Yes!_ This is the only way you will be able to see his memories. You need a connection to the past and this is it!" Kadaj exclaimed, flipping the shield so that the inside faced Angeal instead of the gruesome steel head. He stood there, gazing intently at the older man as the shiny onyx surface shimmered like a mirror made of black glass. Sparkling green currents filled with mako energy were reflected in it, and it pulsed, as though it were alive. Angeal flinched as the glass rippled, like water, and Kadaj smiled evilly.

"The shield can show you everything you've forgotten. All the memories you and your Puppy've shared together are in there. And uh oh yeah, some old friends are in there too. When you died, your good side joined the Lifestream, and the dark part of your soul got shed off and became trapped in here. Why don't you say hi."

"What are you saying?"Angeal pulled back as the glass cleared and a shadowy figure appeared inside the mirror. His gut tightened as it approached him, growing more and more solid with each step. He bent his head as it brandished the trident in its hands, swished its spiked tail at him, and hissed, its repugnant, lizard-like face a mask of hatred. A round, winged creature with fangs and a big eye in the center of its body dropped down to join it, and the keening cry of a griffon sounded in the distance. A big black dog pushed the Sahagin aside, and it was grisly and mean. Blood dripped from its mouth and foam spilled from its lips.

Angeal recoiled from the shield as the dog snarled at him. "These things - "

" - Are kinda pesky," interrupted Kadaj. "As long as they're inside the shield, you'll never be able to see any of your Puppy's memories. Their anger and hate clouds all else. You've got to get them out, so...come on over, and have a family reunion. Family bonding time. Put your hand on your old shield, think about how much you've missed each other, and they'll do the rest." He moved to shove the shield into Angeal's arms, but Angeal side stepped him, and made a beeline for the tunnel entrance, fingers placed warningly on the hilt of the Buster Sword.

"We can't let those things out," Angeal sharply said. "The Sahagin's vicious and that dog's a monster."

_Last I checked, you were one as well._

Kadaj threw up his arms and looked around for something heavy and painful to smack Angeal with. The alternative to using the shield would be for Angeal to go back to Midgar, wake up, find a way to off himself, and come back dead to experience all the memories in the Lifestream that he, as a living person, had previously been unable to see. And that, the unholy silver-haired terror sarcastically laughed, would be a great way to go about helping the Puppy and changing the future.

"You are acting so dumb right now, I want to chop off your head, and see if you were born with a brain," the brat seethed. "Stop blubbering and whining like a mental midget and _listen_ to me: The monsters are _dead_. No one's gonna get hurt if you release them into the Lifestream - hello? - and you have nothing to worry about. They're not going to turn on you - they're a part of you - and you know what? You can also mentally control them and make them do what you want."

Angeal turned away, not wanting to hear anymore. He breathed stertorously, body and soul rebelling at Kadaj's terrible words. His face contorted and he put his hands to his head. He bit on his lip in distress, dreading the side of himself that he would see if he did as Kadaj suggested, and used his powers to free and manipulate the monsters. His heart pounded loudly in his chest as he imagined the gluttonous Ahriman getting up in his face and the bloodthirsty griffon fawning upon him and leaning into his legs. And the world darkened before his eyes as he pictured the slothful Sahagin curling its sinuous arms around him. He took yet another step back, his eyes filling as he struggled against his fragility, and his fear of what he was, and Kadaj sneered at him - disgusted with the way that he was acting.

The shield flickered at that moment, and went black. The monsters vanished and Angeal saw wooden floorboards and a quaintly lit altar swirling about inside the glass. Flying buttresses arched over dilapidated pews and magnificent stain glassed windows. The moon shone, silver-white, through a hole in the roof, and beyond the moon were stars, dancing across the sky. A figure stretched out before him, lying helplessly on a blanket on the floor, and Angeal felt his heart leap into his throat as it became larger and clearer. He recognized it, right away as Zack, and realized that he was seeing everything that was going on back at Aeris' place. His shoulders slouched as he watched his apprentice curl up in a fetal position, and sob heavier than he had ever seen anyone cry before. His hands moved to his forehead as he got a glimpse of _himself,_ propped up behind the boy like a drunken man, who's fallen asleep, listening to a sermon. Tension quadrupled inside him at the sight, and he convulsively turned side to side. Standing here, trying to make up his mind what to do, he quaked, was as bad as being passed out in a drunk stupor. Urgency rose in him, the way it had in the Church when Aeris had been trying to put him into a state of calmness, and his emotions exploded. Love and devotion eclipsed everything else he felt as Zack cried out, mouthing _his name._ All he could think of, as he strode up to his old shield, was comforting the traumatized boy and hugging away his fears.

"I'll be there soon, Zack. I'm almost there. I'm on my way," he said, and determinedly put his hand out.

Zack disappeared as his fingers slid across the glass, and the monsters re-appeared. The Ahriman chittered excitedly and the griffon flapped its wings in anticipation. The damn dog pawed at the ground, and the stooped-over Sahagin bounced about like a grotesque hunchback.

Angeal looked over his shoulder at Kadaj, who was sitting in the corner, throwing pebbles at the tree. "What do I do next?" he asked.

The brat was as sassy as ever. "You think about them and wish they were with you. Weren't you paying attention when I told you what to do?"

"I'm sorry, I was too busy planning world domination and revenge," Angeal dryly replied, with a quirk of his lips.

He ignored the malicious smirk Kadaj gave him, and laid his palm flat on the center of the shield. His fingers separated and splayed apart as he concentrated, trying to draw the ghastly creatures to him with his mind. Power he had not known he possessed surged through him as he imagined a portal appearing in the cave with him. The tainted cells inside his body pulsed, and his world became one of pure, absolute pain. He clutched his temples as the monsters inside the shield _heard_ him and howled loudly at him. His legs buckled as they returned his call, with a surprisingly powerful mental call of their own. He shook his head in protest and in denial as something dark and foreign awake within him. His body trembled as he _felt_ the monsters' rage and desperation, and he heard a loud banging sound, like that of a kettle full of tea water being overturned. His eyes snapped open at the noise, and he saw his shield rolling about on the gravelly floor, its golden border rimmed with fire, its gorgeous mirror surface shimmering with white light. His chest compressed as a long, scaly black hand reached through the glass, and groped around, feeling blindly for prey. The hound's gruesome, blood stained face emerged next, and his surroundings cruelly blurred as he attracted the monster's attention. The dog growled menacingly as everything fogged up and turned grey, and Angeal tensed.

He heard toenails skitter through the gravel. Wings flapped about him. A creature _whooshed_ past him and there came an ominous sounding _thunk_ behind him. The monsters, he cringed, were circling him and were slowly closing in.

"Kadaj," he whispered, trying to keep his voice steady so the creatures wouldn't sense his fear, "how do I get rid of this blindness? I _need_ to see what's going on."

"You'll be able to see again in a minute after your eyes adjust to the light. We're entering a different part of the Lifestream now," Kadaj lied, quickly thrusting the Darkness materia he'd used down his bodysuit. He ran his hand over his breast several times to make sure that it was good and jammed inside his skin tight uniform; there'd be hell to pay if his companion caught him with it, and started asking him questions about it. He had a feeling he'd be looking at an eternity in the Lifestream if Penance ever found out that he'd deliberately blinded him in order to make it easier for the monsters to catch him and pin him down. "Just sit there for now, and let them poke you and sniff you. They won't do shit to you. You're _family,_ okay?"

"Not okay. But okay." Angeal grit his teeth, and fought hard to stand still. He wrapped his arms around himself to make it harder for the monsters to paw at him, and retreated inwardly, so he wouldn't have to think about these loathsome things crowding excitedly around him. His lips twitched, in disgust, as scaly limbs coiled about him, and the Ahriman landed on his shoulder, perching there like a sated parrot. Something large and feathered head-butted him, and the next thing he knew, the repulsive little beasts were scrambling all over him, all wanting to climb on his back and slither all over his stomach. His body was wracked with pain as the monsters pulled him down, slamming him against the roots of the tree in their eagerness to be reunited. Panic swept over him as the back of his skull ricocheted off a sharp rock, and then panic turned to confusion as the monsters took advantage of his bewildered state to dive into his mind.

Angeal felt like he was being trampled by a Grand Horn as the creatures enmeshed their minds with his, seeking to merge with him, mentally as well as physically. His forehead and lungs burned as they ripped through his mental defenses, tearing them apart and throwing them down. They bellowed triumphantly as they assaulted him, knowing that if they succeeded in driving him to his knees and shattering his willpower, they would be able to take control of his body, and make it theirs forever.

He made a noise that sounded like a whimper as they barraged him with memories that they had received from him, when he had absorbed them in his past-life. Tremors wracked him as images that he did not recognize shot through his head.

He saw Zack blow out everyone's ears with building leveling shouts as the promotion to 1st was announced, and stared aghast as the boy went tearing through Fort Tambelin, recklessly bursting into rooms filled with enemy insurgents. Wutai ended with Zack getting into trouble, and him having to intervene before the kid got stomped to death by a chain wielding behemoth. He cringed as the boy beamed at him - not the least bit sorry that he had bitten off more than he could chew. And cringed again when the memories shifted to Banora, and he got to relive what appeared to be the end of a fight that he was having with Zack and Genesis. He watched, appalled, as Genesis maniacally recited _LOVELESS,_ and he turned his back on Zack and walked away, leaving his apprentice hurt and outraged.

The pain in his head increased tenfold as Banora evaporated.

He writhed about blindly on the floor of the cave, clutching his skull in agony, as the monsters showed him how he had hurt Zack in Midgar. His lips rolled back in a distraught grimace as he beheld himself pummeling Zack in the stomach and knocking his apprentice onto a grate. The exuberant young 1st vanished, falling down to a flowerbed below, and many dark, depressing scenes followed.

This time, he saw himself standing on a highway, outside the city, arguing with the boy. Ambulances blared loudly in the background and emergency lights blinked on and off. Hojo rose up in front of him, grinning like a sociopath. Zack slipped in between him and Hojo, shielding him from the detestable scientist, and Genesis materialized beside them, hands crackling with dark energy. Hojo snickered, a Summon screamed as it was cut down by Zack, and Aeris walked through a door, lighting up the Slums with her radiant smile. She and Zack embraced, and Angeal recoiled as **_he_** materialized on the rooftop behind them, looming menacingly over them like a gargoyle. The snow-covered roof of a bath house came into view, and he spotted two figures fighting through a window. He heard Zack cry out as a weapon was driven through him and felt his heart sink. His eyes filled and the monsters chittered excitedly, anticipating this memory would lead to his downfall.

Footsteps thundered loudly towards him as he lay there trembling, trying to find the strength to fight.

It took Angeal a moment to comprehend that they were _Kadaj's footsteps_ , and not part of the dreadful memory that was being forced upon him by the monsters.

The silver-haired fiend came racing up to his battered, emotionally exhausted body, shouting, "Are you gonna give up, and let them take over your mind, _Angeal?"_

Angeal stirred and forced eyes that were still under the effects of Darkness open. His eyelids felt sore and swollen as he blinked, and his eye-sockets stung as he gazed in the direction Kadaj's voice was coming from. The boy's silhouette wavered before him, blurring in and out of focus. The child's green irises shone coldly at him, and it struck him, as they bore down upon him, that it was strange that he could only make out Kadaj and not the shadowy shapes of the monsters. What, he wondered as he struggled to sit up, had happened to them? Had they lost interest in crawling on him and bouncing about like deranged puppies?

"No," he vehemently whispered, pushing aside the doubts he was having about the monsters, "I'm _not_ going to let them have me. I came here to help Zack, and I'm _not_ going to let him down. I'm not going to make the same mistakes I made in my past-life. Things _will_ be different this time!"

Kadaj laughed softly and plopped down beside Angeal. "I never thought I'd hear you say that, Penance," the brat said, his voice mocking and unsympathetic again. "It's a nice change from, 'Grrr,' and 'Kill me, Zack, I created my own suffering.' The Planet's heart must be swelling with joy right now."'

"W-what?" Angeal said dumbly. "'I created my own suffering'? I would _never_ say something like that - great, here we go again," he groaned, as inside his head the Sahagin roared loudly in protest at his words.

The ugly monster lashed out at him as he moaned, and tried to force another brutal memory upon him; it wanted his body most of all, and refused to give up.

Angeal squeezed his eyes shut and concentrated as it showed him his apprentice hunkering on the bath house floor with severe injuries. Fury surged through him as the creature hissed in delight, and he struck back, countering with all the good memories he had of Zack. The cunning monster was caught off guard as he pummeled it with images of him and Zack celebrating the promotion to 1st and relaxing together, after a long day of fighting. He showed it them going on training missions together, him affectionately fluffing up the boy's hair, and Zack hugging him.

The Sahagin went ballistic as Angeal threw up mental barriers to replace the ones it had toppled over, and reinforced his mental shields. In a last ditch effort to emotionally cripple him, the beast cleared his vision. The malignant reptile squealed angrily as he opened his eyes and froze, his spirit cowed by the gruesome alterations that it and the other monsters had made to his body.

"N-no." Angeal shook all over, understanding now why the monsters had stopped pawing him, they had, he bitterly realized, forcefully bonded with him while he had been blind and helpless, to avoid being forced to live in limbo in the Whirlwind Maze. They were now submerging their memories with his and trying to break him, so their personalities could emerge dominant. Their energy and traits were spreading throughout his body, twisting him and changing him. He was once again becoming the abomination who had hurt Zack, and there was no way for him to stop the process. All he could do at this point was fight back, and hope that he emerged victorious; if he could defeat them, then they would hesitate to challenge him again.

"This can't be," he recoiled, fixing his now grey, pupil-less eyes on the roots of the tree.

He stared ahead, terrified that he would lose it if he got another look at the repulsive mechanical monster-arms growing out of his shoulders, the three blue, snake-like tails, swishing about behind him, and the hideous snout jutting out of the spot where his stomach had once been. He steered his thoughts back to Zack as black and silver scales spread up his mutated torso and a shaggy, gravity defying mane jutted out past his shoulders. He ignored his nails splitting open to make way for sharp, deadly looking claws, and focused on all the light and joy Zack brought into his life. The monsters redoubled their devastating attack as he created beautiful havens in his mind for him and his apprentice. Banora, he decided, would be the 1st place they would visit. Zack would be introduced to his mother, they would visit all the quaint, old farms and go apple-picking in the orchards. Sunny Costa del Sol would be next, because Zack was long, overdue a proper vacation, and then they would move onto more exotic locations. They'd see the Northern Lights illuminate the galaxy in the mountains up north, meditate in the City of the Ancients, and find sanctuary in all the outer islands no one had ever been to.

"You're not going to take me," he whispered, as they flashed before him in his mind- ugly, grim and cruel. _I'm not weak like I was before._

The monsters retaliated with a memory of Zack, being held down and injected with drugs in Hojo's lab. He swore that he would not let what _that_ happen. They hooted at him as his teeth elongated into fangs, and tried to convince him that Zack would reject him, in his gruesome state. He reminded himself that Zack loved everyone, and called their bluff. They attempted to make him think that his monstrous nature would assert itself if he found the boy in the Lifestream, and that he'd end up hurting Zack the way he had in the past. He reassured himself that he knew what he was and was not capable of, and made a vow that he would never make self-destructive decisions again.

 _I'm not going to surrender to you,_ he firmly told them, glowing with hope and courage as they came at him, with even more memories.

They screeched when they saw how heavily he had fortified his mental defenses, and he rested his eyes, and entered a state of calm. He was not happy about being Penance again, but at peace with himself now, and confident and accepting of who he was, even though who he was was a monster.

An ornate looking trident materialized in his mechanical hands as he closed his mind to the fiends. It shimmered with gold and aquamarine accents and radiated with power - power that put it on par with Masamune, and would allow him to defeat almost anyone who tried to hurt him or Zack. The monsters wailed as he threw it down and sent it flying over the sides of the cliff where he would never be able to retrieve it. They watched, stunned, as he limped towards the corner where he'd dropped his Buster Sword. With the last of his strength, he propped it up against the cavern wall. He lowered himself to the ground and pressed his forehead against it, refusing to cast it, and everything that it had once stood for aside.

The monsters fell silent as he collapsed, hugging his sword. He had won for now. But he expected to be challenged again in the future. The Sahagin had really wanted his body.

Kadaj rushed up to him as his head fell back. "You beat them, Angeal! I _knew_ you could do it!" the menace excitedly said. "Now you can rescue your Puppy, go home and tell Sephiroth about me."

 _Oh, so you **knew** that I'd be attacked, and turn back into Penance?_Angeal looked up at Kadaj with consternation. He sat there for a long moment, letting his furious body language and silence do the speaking for him. This, he decided, was an occasion where it would be best, if he didn't voice what he was feeling. Kadaj would take that wicked-looking double-bladed sword and attack him if he announced that the 1st six months of their revival were going to involve a relationships counselor, empathy courses, and weekly psychological evaluations. And he doubted he would be able to impress upon Kadaj how wrong it was to manipulate someone into setting a bunch of dangerous monsters free. The sociopath - _child,_ he corrected himself, anger turning to pity as their eyes met - was so desperate to be revived, that he was willing to take chances with his humanity to speed up the process; anything that would get him back to Midgar faster, so he could have a chat with Sephiroth, was a-okay.

"I wish you'd warned me what could happen. Wh-why didn't you _tell_ me?" he half-asked, half-stammered.

Kadaj flopped down on his stomach on the ground beside him. "Because I didn't see a point. I knew that you wouldn't let them win. You're not the pathetic person I met in the Lifestream the 1st time I died. You have a backbone now, aren't wallowing in self-pity, and have a reason for living. The old you made me want to kill babies."

_Thanks, that's very kind of you to say about me._

"Oh, and I lied about the shield. It can only show you what's going on in the present. I made all that stuff up about it having the power to show you the past. It wasn't nice, I guess, buuuut... I needed to make you think that it was special in order to get you to use it. You never would've let the monsters out if you hadn't had thought that it'd lead you to your Puppy." Kadaj continued, deciding to bite the bullet and come clean about everything. Irreparable harm, he realized, could be caused to their relationship if Angeal found out, from one of his gossipy brothers that he had deceived him. And the Lifestream, the brat smiled, was a good place to confess to misdeeds; if Angeal started in on dreams, pride and honor after he'd made a full confession, it would be a simple matter to teleport away to another part of the Whirlwind Maze and let the mutated man lecture mako-particles. A lot safer, he laughed, than admitting to wrong doing in Midgar, where Angeal had locked doors, Stop materia and Zack and Genesis at his disposal to prevent him from fleeing in terror. "I'm sorry about that."

Angeal inhaled deeply. It was a long time before he released the air he'd taken in. When at last he did, his brows were knit and he was scowling. "Why," he demanded, "was it so important to you to free those monsters? Thanks to you - "

"Please don't be mad at me. I was only trying to help you get your old memories back," Kadaj cried with utmost innocence, at his most cutest now. "When you finish merging with all those monsters, you're going to remember all the stuff that's happened to you. And um, you're also able to see everything now, because the monsters you absorbed are _dead_ , and you need to be dead to see stuff in the Lifestream. If you'd look around, _Uncle Angeal,_ you'd see what I mean."

"It still would've been nice if you'd told me about the monsters from the start," Angeal said through gritted teeth as he lumbered to the edge of the cliff. He peered over the side and solemnly watched as tendrils of Lifestream energy writhed about like snakelings, emerging from their eggs.

There were millions of trails, but it did not take him long with his heightened senses to locate which wisp contained his Puppy's memories. He tried to reach out with one of his human hands to touch the shimmering tendrils. His heart sank when he found that they had become paralyzed and were now fixed in the same position as the hands of the corpse in the crystal. If he wanted to locate Zack, he would have to use the new set of monster hands he'd grown.

Reluctantly, he raised one of his new hands above him. Particles glowing with the radiance that Zack brought into the world floated past his open steel palm. The current of memories drifted towards him, drawn to his presence, and his consciousness expanded as he found himself engulfed by it. Things that he had not been able to see before were revealed to him as the knowledge of the Lifestream seeped into him. The relieved expression smile on his lips faded away as he was hit with a stream of dark memories. It was no wonder, he thought as he skimmed through them for the memory Zack was currently reliving, that his apprentice was climbing the walls back at the Church. The boy's past-life had been violent, tragic and cruel, and it would be a miracle if Zack emerged from memory-hell without deep emotional scars.

Kadaj trod on his paw as a vision of Shinra mansion appeared before him. "Any luck finding him?" the pest demanded, following up with a tail pull for good measure. "The sooner you find him, the sooner you guys can go home - " - _and tell Sephiroth about me_.

Angeal grimaced. "No, not yet. I think he might be reliving my death," he softly said. "When I last saw him, he was saying he didn't want to hurt me."

For once, the brat was helpful. "Look for 'em in Modeoheim. And ignore everything else."

Angeal nodded somberly and resumed his search. He retreated from Zack's memories of Shinra mansion, and was spared the horror of seeing Sephiroth go crazy and burn Nibelheim to ashes. He ignored Banora and missed his mother stuffing her face with rat poison and committing suicide. Gongaga shone like a beacon in the darkness of the dreary memory cluster, and he stopped briefly there, thinking that Zack might have taken refuge in a safe, familiar place. To his dismay, he found Mr. and Mrs. Fair in the kitchen, wringing their hands over a prank their son had pulled, and acting like hysterical idiots. He made a hasty retreat as one of Zack's friends sprayed Mrs. Fair with silly string, and tripled his pace to make up for lost time. Images from Junon, Costa del Sol, and Wutai flew past him as he sped through the maze of memories. The nerves in his body burned as he ran into dead end after dead end, jumbled thought after jumbled thought. Zack's memories were even more disorganized and fragmented than he'd imagined they would be, and their chaotic state caused his anger to abate. Merging with monsters to get one's memories back, he realized, was a lot less painful than what Zack was experiencing. His heart pounded loudly as he felt a presence that could _only_ be Zack's coming from the other side of a thick, impenetrable mental barrier, at the end of the labyrinth. The barrier yielded to him as he gently probed it with his mind, and fell away. The bathhouse he had seen before re-appeared against the black abyss of Zack's mind, and he knew that he had achieved his goal. Now, he needed to figure out how to get inside, and speak to Zack; all his efforts would be in vain, if he couldn't interact with the traumatized boy.

"I've found him," he said to Kadaj. "Now, how do I get through to him?"

Kadaj handed Angeal his shield and laughed, amused that he was ending up having to play teacher to one of the most brilliant minds on the Planet. "You look into his memory, will yourself inside, and talk to him and send out good thoughts to him. You keep your cool, so you don't waste all your energy and find yourself back here, and try like hell to get him to notice you. He's not going to know you're there if he's flipping out. or getting his ass kicked. Your voice is going to be like a whisper to him; that's how being a spirit in someone else's memories goes."

"And if I want him to see me?"

The menace arched his eyebrows and snorted scornfully at the question. What Angeal wanted to do couldn't be done. As far as he knew, only Ancients possessed the power to project images of themselves to other people. Speaking to Zack was the best his companion could hope to accomplish. "The art of appearing to obnoxious, hyperactive Puppies was lost a long time ago," he told the disgustingly honorable man. "It was 'forgotten' by the Ancients when they contacted Zack's ancestors, and had them jump up on them and hump their legs. Until it's rediscovered, you'll just have to make do, and throw good thoughts at him."

 _Are - you - sure about this?_ Angeal's face fell. He frowned at Kadaj with confused eyes and pressed his ashen-gray cheek against the glowing mako walls of the cave. Aeris, he inwardly protested, had given him the impression that he might be able to appear to Zack once he was in the boy's memories. Had she been mistaken about what was and was not possible? Or had he, he asked himself, took her advice to mean something that it was not in the middle of all the stress and excitement back at the Church? He had, he knew with certainty, been so distressed, that he hadn't been fully thinking about what she had been saying.

"I'm pretty sure," he said, after a long pause, "that I've heard differently. Cloud's Ancient friend -"

"Living Sister," Kadaj tersely said, feeling irritated that he hadn't factored Aeris into the equation. "If she's told you that it's possible to appear to your Puppy, there _may_ be a way for you to get what you want. Living Sister's amazing."

He calmly pointed upward and Angeal followed his gaze to the cavern-top, where beautiful flowers were growing on the weather-worn, eroded, moss-coated rocks. The boy smiled thinly as the fragrant, slender plants swayed about in the wind, moving with it instead of against it. Aquamarine mako-droplets dripped down from the ceiling, creating a small pond at the feet of the flowers, and sunlight poured down on them through a crack. Translucent white and silver butterflies perched upon their stems, gently sipping nectar and shining like stars, and ghostly birds peeked out from the foliage and peeped. The vibrant gold, red and white blossoms opened up to drink in the refreshing mountain air, and Angeal blinked in wonder, stunned that such beauty could flourish in a place so full of decay and death. The winged man turned to Kadaj, and then looked quickly back at the undamaged and unstained mound of flowers.

"Aeris created that flower bed, didn't she?" murmured the monstrous 1st.

"Yeah, she did," Kadaj replied. "She can do some incredible things. Shame on you for not trusting her more."

 _I trust her now,_ Angeal thought. He put his hand out to touch the trail of mako that contained Zack's memories, and then stopped, mid-grab. "I appreciate you helping me," he softly said; thanks were in order, in case he never saw Kadaj again. "I'll tell Sephiroth about you and your brothers."

The brat sneered and gave all three of his tails a good yank. The tail yank was followed by a smack across the back. "You better," the little tyrant exclaimed, unable to resist parting without getting in the last word. "If you don't tell Sephiroth about us, we'll make life hell for you the next time you're here. And if we have to wait more than three days to be revived we'll fly down to Banora after we're brought back and empty your mother's bank account. I know what her account number is, I can see everything in the Lifestream!"

Angeal shook his head at the baseless threat and stepped into the cyclone of mako-particles swirling about him. He plunged back into the stream of memories, and Kadaj, the cave and Aeris' garden rolled away and vanished. The world exploded in white light as he ran down the path that he'd trod before - his only goal to find and protect Zack. Walls that had previously blocked his way crumbled and collapsed as he tore through the labyrinth, and the giant mental barrier that had given him problems shattered into a million pieces of glass. Sharp, broken memory-shards whipped menacingly about like leaves caught in a wind-storm as the white peaks of Modeoheim, emerged like foam, out of the black sea surrounding him. Thick, cancerous smoke rose over the mountains, and his surroundings rippled. The foul-smelling air pulsed. And the ground beneath his feet vibrated. And before he could react, it gave away beneath him.

**_εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000_ **

_Like a stone, he plummeted through night everlasting. Voices murmured in the darkness as he fell down, down, down into the abyss of Zack's memories. He recognized one of them as Tseng's and was alarmed to hear infantrymen respond. Rifles clicked excitedly in answer and a walkie-talkie crackled loudly, distorting the sound of high-powered machine guns being unloaded. Helicopter blades whirred menacingly overhead as reinforcements arrived, and booted feet pounded up what he assumed to be rickety old stairs; in this lightless pit, it was impossible to see anything. Wooden floorboards creaked beneath their weight and sharp, bladed weapons scraped across tile - harsh and grating as fingernails being dragged across a chalkboard. The wind howled mournfully, like a child left to die in some godforsaken place, as metal clashed against metal in the shadowed lands around him. He felt as though he was breathing in flame as his velocity increased, and the air blew directly up into his nostrils. He wondered if the fall would ever come to an end as he crashed into sharp objects and ricocheted off crystalline walls. Doubt entered his mind as the world shook, again, and his environment grew frigid and cold. Perhaps he had made a mistake, he agonized, and entered the wrong memory._

_An eroded oak building shot up beneath him, shining faintly against the twilit land. He was caught off-guard by it, and realized, too late, that he was going to collide with it. Nothing he could do could break his fall, and he smashed through the rotted roof, landing hard on a wooden floor. He lost his grip on his shield and sword as his head snapped back, striking a rusted pipe. His wing and right arm were crushed beneath him, and it was a wonder that neither of them broke. Cold, burning pain shot up his limbs as he clawed at the decayed slats, finding it very hard to lift himself up off all fours. His forelegs kicked out uselessly in front of him, and his tails flailed about, like hydra going into their death throes. The ugly monster in his gut gnashed its teeth in agony, and then let out a high-pitched squeal of protest as he twisted about. He tuned it out and smothered its face into the floorboards._

_A flash of gray and blue streaked past Angeal as he rolled over onto his stomach. He turned around to find out what was going on, and was sickened to see a hideously mutated monster send_ his _Puppy flying across the room. The creature was a mishmash of scales and fur, and looked like a cross between a dog and a snake. Foam dripped from the grisly mouth in its abdomen, and its thick, dirty mane crackled with dark energy. Its clawed feet were covered with blood, and its shriveled face was lined with age and twisted into something that was far from human. Its empty eyes were dead and unfeeling and its fanged smile was cruel and sadistic. It was his past-self, in all its monstrous glory._

_Small, chitinous spikes protruded from the beast's arms as it tried to trample Zack._

_Angeal looked down at an identical set of spikes jutting from his sides. He counted to ten to calm himself as the tips shimmered. His eyes darted from the deadly appendages, oozing with venom, to the monster attacking Zack. And as his body convulsed, they went back to himself, again. Anguish burned in his veins as they darted back and forth several more times - going from himself to Penance. Himself to Penance. A torrent of emotions coruscated through him as the creature reared back and he got a good look at it. In those dreadful, corpse-like eyes, he saw a passiveness that outraged him and an unwillingness to look beyond one's sense of self that appalled him. He recoiled, feeling inside himself, that same passivity - seeing in Penance, a reflection of the man he had formerly been._

_He climbed to his feet as his monstrous counterpart (no,_ self, _he told himself, refusing to absolve himself of guilt by viewing himself and Penance as separate entities) seized the boy by the collar. The boy cried out, and he shook his head, loathing himself for having hurt Zack so badly in his past-life, and despising the Planet for putting Zack through this dreadful ordeal again. And making it so damned difficult to help Zack._

_He wanted nothing more than to leap into the battle and pull Penance off Zack. But invisible and unable to take on a solid form here, he couldn't do that._

_His spectral claws passed harmlessly through Penance as the chimera-like creature moved close enough for him to put his claws through it and tear out its heart. And his translucent Buster Sword had no effect on the rampaging monster either. All he could do was stand there helplessly as Zack was mauled._

_"Zack," he shouted in vain, "you've got to_ **get away** _from me!"_

_He watched wide-eyed and open-mouthed as Zack was pulled off the ground, in a windpipe crushing chokehold, and cruelly squeezed. His heart ached as the child was dragged, neck-1st, towards the salivating face in Penance's abdomen._

_The boy fought back frantically as the monster got ready to grab his head between its teeth and grind his skull to powder. He twisted and flailed about, kicking and slashing at the blood-stained maw. His sword tore into the flattened snout, creating a massive nose-bleed that made it very difficult, and very painful for Penance to breath. And when gray lips rolled back to reveal enormous, yellowed fangs, he took his weapon and jammed it into the monstrous mouth. With a cry, that was part sob, part scream, he stabbed at the diseased blue gums, driving the tip of his blade through the sensitive tissue. Roots fractured as he attacked the bone and teeth were dislocated. Penance bucked about in agony as he damaged its mouth lining, damaged its tongue, and carved his mark into it. The monster screeched as every nerve in its_ headcheeksfaceneck _burned and opened its hand, providing him with an opportunity to fight against the chokehold._

_Angeal raced into the middle of the room as Zack pried the enormous fingers from his throat. "Get away, Zack," he begged, fearful that the boy would try to be a hero. "Get away and heal yourself."_

_Zack stumbled away from Penance, his eyes full of confusion. For a moment, Angeal had hope that he'd gotten through to the boy._

_No. Such. Luck. His voice was as diminished as Kadaj said it would be, and Zack was going through hell and was too distracted._

_The boy tossed away the offensive materia he had started to load into his sword, unable to bring himself to cast petrify upon Penance and leave his former mentor rotting in marble for all eternity. He kicked it away from him, casted Big Guard upon himself, and then followed up with Frog Song, a spell that would hopefully knock Penance out. The spell splashed harmlessly off the immune-monster, and Zack quaked. He stood there and looked from side to side confusedly: a person trapped at the cross-roads of his life, trying to decide which direction to go. Penance advanced on him, and he jerked away, his body heaving, and his eyes tearing up. He brought his hand up to his forehead, and crushed his face against the palm._

_With his face buried in his hands, he limped across the room to a broken wall, where he could see the sun. He rocked back and forth like an epileptic patient as he looked down at the courtyard below. He felt hysterical relief as the muddied cement pavement spiraled out beneath him, an unfocused, blurry kaleidoscope of gray, tan and black._

_His mentor, he wildly thought, as he teetered over the sheer, three-story drop, would have to stop attacking him now. That thing that'd taken over his teacher, he told himself, wouldn't want to risk sending him careening over the edge, because it needed him, to kill it. And when it hesitated, he would find a way to get through to the person inside._

_"Angeal," he mewled, quivering like a leaf about to be tossed into a fire, "come back. Please, you've got to come back. I can help you. We'll go somewhere, where they won't be able to find us! Please."_

_The Beast snarled and kept coming._

_Zack saw what he was doing wasn't working and choked back a sob. He crawled, like a wounded animal, from the edge to a corner, and Penance changed directions and eagerly pursued him._

_Angeal ran up to his Puppy as the boy backed into the dilapidated wall in shock and terror. He placed himself between Penance and Zack, even though he knew in his present-spectral state that what he was doing was useless. "Heal yourself and get out of here," he pleaded, voice breaking as Penance walked through him and prepared to attack the boy. "Don't try to reason with **me!** You know that once I've decided something, it's impossible to get me to change my mind!"_

_Zack, however, did not hear this passionate plea. He collapsed against the ruined wall - his hopes unraveling with each step Penance took. His throat constricted and his eyes moved to the rotting floor. He stared at it as if it were the only thing that existed, wishing the ground would open beneath him, and swallow him up the way it had, numerous times already that night. He stomped on the floorboards desperately, and then, when nothing happened, hugged his shoulders and trembled._

_Penance picked up the trident he had knocked away earlier, in the fight, and he lost his confidence as the spear was raised and pointed at him. "Please, don't make me do this," he struggled, tightening his grip on his own weapon, "I don't want to. No. Please, no. No, no. Angeal, please, no. Angeal, please don't make me do this. No, NO, NO!"_

_"Zack, run!" implored Angeal. "You're no match for me. You've got to -"_

_" - I can't. No! Please, no. No! NO!" Zack sniffled. He stood there like a deer frozen in the headlights, and the monster slammed into him with more force than a Grand Horn._

_The powerful blow sent him careening forward on his badly bleeding stomach._

_The abomination slashed at him as he grappled for his sword, and a swift kick on his part was not enough to deflect the attack. Penance bellowed exultantly and brought its weapon down, driving its trident into him. The trident cut clean through his hand, severing the tendons in his wrist and damaging a major nerve. He screamed as Penance stabbed him again, in the exact same spot, and activated the Enemy Skill materia he had been holding back on using. Before the monster could finish him, he rolled onto his side and thrust his good hand at the mean little face in Penance's abdomen. Ghostly pyramid-shaped shadows swirled around him and yellow colored electricity sparked from his fists as his foe took the bait and opened its mouth to crush him. He turned his head away as the spheres of dark energy he'd gathered exploded, shattering more teeth and inflicting further injury upon the monster's tongue._

_Penance screeched in pain as its mouth was literally blown open, and he followed up with the Bad Breath attack that he had learned from a Marlboro who had been brought back to headquarters to study._

_The monster ran head-on into the crippling particles and staggered back. Zack dropped to his knees and rolled under it as it stood there bewilderedly. Stun immune, the monster was not. He pulled himself up quickly and headed for the doorway. He darted into one of the rooms on the landing, crying and pressing his wounded hand to his chest to staunch the bleeding._

_He sank to his knees beside a blackened, mildew-coated bath tub, and cast Regen and Curaga upon himself. A whimper rose in his throat as the bleeding stopped - his ruined tendons started to pull themselves together, and the nerve hanging from his hand was sucked into his wrist. Tears flowed down his cheeks as the bones in his fingers snapped into place and shredded flabs of skin stretched, like leather being pulled across a drum, over his muscles. His toes curled as the healing suddenly stopped, leaving him with moist, scrambled egg colored pieces of crap sticking out of his raw, pussing half-healed hand. And his lips drew back in a terrible grimace._

_"Please heal, please heal. You've got to!" he choked, terrified of what would happen if he was forced to fight Penance the way he was now. Penance had bled him, and with fried tendons, he could barely hold onto his sword. He tapped his materia desperately, wishing that it would magically morph into a Full Cure materia. There was only so much damage one could heal with Curaga. "How am I gonna be able to help him like this?"_

_Angeal knelt beside Zack and placed spectral hands on the boy's arm. "Sometimes you can't save people," he said. "This is going to be one of those times."_

_No sooner had he finished saying this, than Zack clutched his head. He looked around nervously, like a rabbit getting ready to bolt._

_"Yeah, looks like it. I've tried everything and nothing's worked. I'm not having any luck getting through to him. I don't think he's going to be coming back," he cried through grit teeth, horrified that he had just heard someone tell him that he wouldn't be able to save his mentor. He dragged himself behind the bath tub, and plugged his ears, praying that it wouldn't speak to him again; if he did, it would be confirm his belief that he was losing his mind. He pressed himself against the wall, leaving Angeal standing in the middle of the room, gaping after him._

_"Zack, what did you say?" Angeal murmured, hope flaring to life within him in a dizzying rush. His heart began racing a mile a minute, and he bounded over to the bath tub with an eagerness that would have frightened Zack, if the boy had been able to see him; in his bestial state, eagerness looked like madness. He stopped at the side, doubt and dread gnawing at him, even as he rejoiced. Had he, he wondered, just projected his voice to his Puppy, or was he, in his anxiety, imagining that he had? Was he going to be able to repeat what he'd done, or would he be forced to beat his head against the wall trying to figure out how talking to Zack worked until it just happened again? For his Puppy's sake, he sure as hell hoped not; Zack sounded like he could use all the reassurance and guidance he could offer._

_"Did you hear what I just said?" he whispered, thrusting his degrading face over the side of the bath tub so he could see his apprentice's reaction. How Zack reacted to him would affect how he went about this. "Can you hear what I'm saying to you now?"_

_Zack drew his legs in against his chest, hunched up like a frightened child. He wore an expression that would haunt Angeal for the remainder of his life, and it was clear, from the way he stared ahead stricken, that he could hear everything that was being said to him._

_"Here we go again," he whispered, bringing his hand up to his ear. "Guess I am going crazy."_

_"No, you're not going crazy. I'm real, Zack, and I'm going to do all I can to get you out of this. Now listen carefully, we don't have much time. You could be attacked again at any moment. Did you ever see anyone fully heal themselves without materia? Do you think you can imitate what they did?" Angeal quickly cut in, fearing that Zack would shut his mind to him. He scooted as close as he could to his Puppy, hoping that Aeris had demonstrated some of her Cetra magic when he had been driving around the block, trying to figure out where to stash his four-wheel drive. It would solve a lot of their problems if Zack had seen her cast one of her Limit Breaks, and could recall how it was done. The Limit Break of an Ancient would be potent enough to heal Zack's hand._

_Zack sniffled softly in response and wrapped his arms around himself. He bent his chin and shook it from side to side, not sure what to think. He longed, with every fiber in his body, to believe that the noble sounding voice in his head was as real as it claimed to be, and that someone had come at last to help him, but after all that he'd been through, it was very hard to accept such a thing. Every time it looked like things were about to get better, or he thought that he was about to be cut a break, he sobbed, his ordeal became much, much worse. People he cared about self-destructed and destroyed their lives. Or he found himself exposed to some new, devastating horror. Or sliding further down the downward spiral he was in._

_He could not see what he was experiencing now ending any differently than his other experiences. Despairing, he covered his face with the lower part of his sweater. He cried into the bloodied material, grieving for the mentor that he was going to be forced to kill, and for the mysterious, kind Voice, who was now telling him that he needed to hurry - Stun would wear off soon - and that it didn't want to see him get hurt again. At any moment, he expected it to fall silent, and for him to regain his senses, and realize that he'd been hallucinating it, in his half-dead state. Or, if it was real, for it to suddenly die on him; it sounded diminished and weak. As if merely talking was draining it of all its energy._

_"Oh god," he quietly said, "you remind me of Angeal. All logical and calm."_

_Angeal smiled sadly. "That's because I_ **am** _Angeal, Zack," he told the boy. "The real one," he hastily added, to prevent Zack from thinking that it was his past-self who was talking to him. The last thing they needed right now was Zack racing out into the other room to reason with Penance. "Not the one in your memories who's trying to kill you."_

_The boy's eyes blazed. "Bullshit," Zack rebutted. "You sound_ nothing _like Angeal. You. Can't. Be. Him."_

_"No, I **am**. I sound different because I'm not my normal self at the moment." Angeal sighed heavily as Zack thrust out his chin defiantly and gave the shadows on the wall a look from hell. He tilted his head to the side, averting his eyes from his Puppy. He couldn't bring himself, at that moment, to look at Zack and see the mistrust, anger and despair in the boy. "I had to leave my body behind in the Church, and grab a 'rental' -in order to enter your memories," he miserably continued, his voice quaking._

_Planet help Kadaj if the monstrous form he wore turned out not to be a "rental."_

_"It was the only way that I could come here,_ Pup."

_"You...spoke then with Cloud and Aeris?" Zack cried._

_"Yes," answered Angeal. "I did, and I know almost everything now, Zack."_

_There was a long pause._

_Zack shut his eyes and leaned back against the bath tub. His red, tear-stained face strained as he tried to swallow past the knot forming in his throat, and his chest throbbed as his moist, blood-streaked hair fell into his face, getting into his eyes and mouth. He shifted uncomfortably about, eyelids quivering and nerve receptors stinging, as he debated what to do. Several times he brought his hands to his ears, as though he wanted to stave off an oncoming fit. His heart cried that he should ignore everything the Voice said, that this disembodied thing speaking to him couldn't possibly be Angeal, that the real Angeal would never tell him to kill anyone. And common sense screamed that he should trust it, and follow its advice, that it contained more of Angeal than the beast rampaging throughout the bathhouse. You need, the logical side of him argued, to destroy Penance. There's nothing in that monster that's remotely like Angeal. You won't hurt Angeal if you kill that creature, but you will hurt him if you spare that monster, and let that thing dwell in your memories. The real Angeal will never be able to be happy if the two of you are haunted by the ghosts of the past. You've got to lay the past to rest, Zack._

_"I-I know," Zack cried, clutching his wounded hand to his chest. "I know I've got to do it. But it's gonna be so hard. I saw 'Angeal' turn into that thing. I look at it and it's Angeal to me. "_

_"I feel the same way, Pup," Angeal gently said. "I see that creature as a part of myself as well. I'm not going to differentiate him from me, because that would be refusing to accept responsibility for the things I did to you in my past life. I'm sorry I forced you to fight me, Zack - " -_ I'm sorry, I destroyed your life.

_Zack froze and went white as a sheet; the way the Voice was talking to him was making it very difficult for him to continue disbelieving that it wasn't Angeal on the other end. Viewing Penance as an extension of himself was the exact kind of thing Angeal would do, and plunging into memory-hell to find him was the type of foolish sacrifice his mentor would make. He made a dying sound and clasped his temples, his heart torn in two. Loneliness and anger swept through him, with maddening, overwhelming intensity. And then loneliness and anger were replaced with fear and longing. His eyes clouded as his doubts were overpowered by his need to believe that his mentor had come for him. Desperation and mad relief surged to the fore, and he bit his lip and moved towards the direction the Voice was coming from. His eyes ran eagerly over the walls, searching for his teacher's silhouette in the shadows. They darted about the room, hoping to catch the shimmer of mako-colored irises, and then stopped abruptly. His tormented eyes overflowed with fresh tears as he re-examined what the Voice had said. Accepting the Voice as Angeal changed his perspective entirely about the advice it was giving him, and the opinions it was expressing._

_"Are you saying that all this stuff's really happened, and isn't a nightmare?" he blurted out, loud enough for Penance, down the hall, to hear him and figure out which room he was hiding in. He wheezed painfully, dreading what answer he'd be given. "Modeoheim, Sephiroth and Nibelheim, and Cloud and I ending up in Hojo's lab. All this stuff..."_

_Angeal hesitated. Modeoheim he felt certain had occurred. The rest of the stuff, he wasn't so certain about. He had no idea what had gone on in Nibelheim or what the situation with the science department was, but with Penance shaking off the effects of the stun, this was not the time to discuss it._

_"I think that everything that's happening to you in the Lifestream, happened to you in your past-life, as well," he said, causing Zack's face to crumple up. "I've seen things that make me believe that the Planet's showing us the mistakes we made in our prior lives so we don't repeat them. But I don't want to explain what I've seen right now. You are badly injured. We've got to heal your hand. I repeat the question I asked earlier: did you ever see anyone fully heal themselves with a Limit Break? Did Aeris ever show you any of her special abilities? Or did any of your friends ever cast anything that might have been one of her Limit Breaks?"_

_The look on Zack's face said no they hadn't, and no she hadn't shown him anything. Time, Angeal thought, to move on to Plan B. "Zack," he asked, "do you remember when a suicide bomber took out the space lab and I used my Level 4 Break to save one of the scientists? Were you paying attention to what I did?"_

_Zack managed to peep out a "yes." Angeal felt relieved. His recollection of the day the Space Department had been bombed had been Zack freaking out over all the blood and charred corpses, and doing everything but paying attention. "Okay," he said, "do you have the energy to perform a Limit Break? I need you to cast Regen and then do End of Gluttony."_

_Zack gave him half a nod. "Yeah-yeah," the boy mumbled. "I do. But you know End of Gluttony won't heal my hand or get back the blood I've lost. I need a Full Cure materia."_

_"I'm afraid you'll have to make do without one," Angeal quickly said, worried that Zack was going to start questioning him at a time like this. His eyes wandered from the boy to the big aquamarine gem bulging out of the muscle in his wing; it was the Full Cure materia he carried with him, at all times, grotesquely transformed into part of his armor. What his Puppy wanted, he sighed, was so close, and yet so far away. With him unable to physically interact with the boy, the materia, at the moment, was all but useless. "When Penance comes into the room, I want you to perform your Limit Break, and put Regen on yourself. End of Gluttony will heal some of your wounds, increase your Regen, and temporarily numb your ability to feel pain. While you are under its effect, attack that creature with everything you've got, and aim for the head - that's the best spot to attack it - the scales on Its body will take too long for your sword to cut through. Finish it off as fast as you can. If it's still alive, when End of Gluttony wears off, you're going to be in trouble. Do you think that you can do this, Zack?"_

_The sound of heavy machinery crashing to the ground reminded him that there were Turks and infantrymen outside in the courtyard._

_"You could also run downstairs to Tseng and let the army gun it down for you."_

_Zack vetoed that idea. "I don't trust the army," he stuttered. "Hollander told me everyone downstairs wants me dead."_

Then we'll stay here. _Angeal made a harsh breathing noise at the name. Hollander, it appeared, was in the bath house with them, hiding from the army and the Turks. The wretched little man was most likely skulking in a cubby in a nearby room, waiting for Zack and Penance to kill one another so he wouldn't have to deal with an angry monster, and an angry SOLDIER. The coward, the livid 1st thought, was fortunate that they had more pressing things to worry about and weren't going scientist-hunting. Zack, he had no doubt, would beat Hollander to a pulp if they ran into each other, and kill the sick bastard for the things that he had done to him and their friends._

_"Pup," he said, choosing not to voice what he felt for Hollander out loud, "the monster's on its way. I can hear it. Stun's wore off, and it's coming down the hall and starting to investigate. You won't have long before it gets here. You should move out into the center of the room so you don't get trapped behind the bath tub, and, remember, Zack, you're not going to be harming me when you kill it." He stared at his apprentice coldly, his gruesome face reflecting none of what he was thinking or feeling._

_Zack left the corner, as he was advised, and then stopped dead in his tracks. "I can't hear anything," he exclaimed, suddenly starting to get a very bad feeling in his gut. "And I should be able to. How come you can hear him coming, but I can't?"_

_He was greeted with silence. Angeal said nothing, so he repeated the question. This time, his mentor answered._

_"Because I'm...more...enhanced than you are. I've been exposed to higher levels of mako energy than you have, and Hollander and Hojo have been working on me for years now, " Angeal haltingly replied, with a gesture that conveyed how trapped Zack's questions were making him feel. He followed his apprentice to the middle of the room, praying that Zack wouldn't realize that he'd just lied to him about his "enhancements," and demand additional answers. His hysterical, traumatized Puppy would not be able to handle hearing that he'd become a monster again, and would freak if he told him that his senses, in his transformed state, were ten times more powerful than those of any SOLDIER 1st Class. "Are you ready, Pup?"_

Yeah, I guess so _._

_Zack nodded, but his arm dropped in consternation. His hands hung listlessly and unenthusiastically at his side, and he gazed forlornly into space - like a mental patient, who is having a hard time waking back up, and rediscover reality, after receiving a heavy dose of medication. He looked like he was on his last legs, and his mind kept going back to the day Angeal had chosen him to be his student as he took up position. He remembered the smiles, the great talk they'd had, and the near instant clicking with each other, and wondered if he and Angeal would ever be that way again, after this god-awful ordeal in the Lifestream._

_He sadly assumed a defensive stance, knowing deep within his heart, that the odds were against them; Angeal was the type of person who became disillusioned when people he cared about got hurt, and he was someone who shut down when people whom he had given his absolute trust to betrayed him. Angeal manipulating him into killing him, in their past-lives, was not something that could instantly be forgiven; it would likely take months to get over. Maybe years if he was unable to accept and understand the explanation he'd be asking Angeal to give him._

_Penance trotted past the room as he stood there, shaking in pain and shriveling in fear at what the future would bring._

_The monster sniffed the air, caught whiff of him, and came to a violent stop. It whipped around, eager to snuff the life out of the boy who'd destroyed its face. Rotted paintings and pieces of wood crashed to the floor as it doubled back, and tried to gallop down the narrow corridor. The trident in its hand became hooked on a piece of chain as it leapt over a box of supplies the bath house owner had left on the landing. The heavy chain-links wrapped around the spiked prongs, pulling the weapon down. The spear was jerked from the abomination's grasp, and fell forward. Trident and chain went toppling through a huge, gaping hole in the floorboards. And the materia slot in the weapon broke open, sending powerful offensive materia raining down on the infantrymen, squatting on the stairs below waiting for orders._

_The monster paused momentarily to listen to the startled infantrymen scurry about, but made no attempt to retrieve its trident. It was confident it could kill Zack without a weapon. Most of the damage it had done, to the boy, after all had been with its claws and teeth. Little did it know that Zack still had a lot of fight left in him._

_Zack stepped behind a rotted couch as it thrust its desiccated face through the door. He activated the Costly Punch materia in his shoulder guards, and slammed his good fist into the sofa, hitting the backboards with all his might. The five-foot long piece of furniture flew into the air, and went barreling towards Penance. The creature jumped back to avoid getting brained by home decor, and the couch toppled over onto its side, obstructing the entrance._

_Zack darted forward as the Beast bunched the muscles in its legs and prepared to launch itself over the annoying impediment in its path. He placed his good hand on the arm of the couch, and casted Wall to buy himself some extra time and create a double barrier. Penance bellowed as a thick crystalline mound with sharp edges formed over the couch, making it damn difficult to jump into the room without impaling oneself._

_The boy quickly created several more Walls behind the glass bulwark he'd erected to discourage the Beast from charging into the couch and knocking it over. Horizontal spots sprouted from the Walls, shimmering like thorns, and painful little barbs shot out of the ground at the base of the deadly panels. Penance paced about on the other side like a big bristling wolf, thinking about how to break in. Zack stood fast as the monster pointed its black and white wing at the couch and aimed jagged-looking feathers at his barrier. "What's he doing?" the boy asked._

_"Getting ready to shatter your Wall with an area attack," Angeal explained. "Think Genesis and Black Flurry."_

_Zack's eyes filled with despair. He would be torn to pieces if Penance got in here and used that attack on him in closed-quarters. "I didn't know that you had an ability like that," he whispered, ducking around the corner in time to escape being hit with razor sharp feathers._

_"I didn't know I did either," Angeal grimly said. "You should cast Osmoga on him before he takes your Wall down, and drain him. It'll make him run out of energy faster."_

_Zack snapped the Osmoga materia he'd brought with him off his SOLDIER belt, and popped it into his practice sword. He pressed the blade against his forehead with his undamaged hand and concentrated, creating an image of Penance in his mind. Blue-black flames erupted from the hilt of his weapon and shot up the length of the blade, licking at it, and swirling about it. His injured fingers twitched uncomfortably, at being so close to hot, stinging air, as the flames lifted off his sword, like spirits, leaving a broken person. He jerked his ruined hand away as the dark flames merged, coalescing into a massive fireball._

_The fireball shot around the corner and went tearing off into the bathhouse as Penance assaulted his Walls, hitting them with its Wings of Pride attack. Both spells collided at the same time, creating an ominous, ear-aching cacophony. Zack shot up, like he'd been hit, as the sound of shattering crystal mixed with the sound of exploding comet. Penance let out an enraged, gurgling-roar, and Zack remembered that he needed to be casting Regen and End of Gluttony on himself._

_He thrust his hand over his head, channeling all the spirit energy he'd saved up. His body was immediately engulfed with green light as he performed the combo. Pale fire swelled up and down him, forming a protective force shield around him, and the bloody, yellow-pink film protecting the exposed tendons in his wrist stretched, like gelatin. He bit down on his tongue as the grotesque covering hardened into flesh, and the fractured bones shifted about. Penance came bounding into the room as his vision cleared, the ache in his muscles subsided, and the buzzing in his ears stopped. He raised his head to face the monster, as all the feeling temporarily faded from his hand, and the pain receptors inside him went dead. Penance glared back at him and huffed and blew in challenge, like a threatened bear. The monster took a tentative, threatening jab at him, and it was on._

_Zack ran forward and slashed awkwardly at the monster with his short training sword; never before had he tried to wield a sword, using his right hand. His blade tore across the monster's sweatered chest, cutting deep into dried, ashy skin. Black blood welled up from the wound as the monster bucked about, spreading like water-colors across its arms and torso._

_The grisly thing recovered faster than Zack expected and struck back, smashing its attacker on the head with its shield. Zack staggered and Penance grabbed a hold of his ear with its free hand and gave the earlobe a good hard yank, trying to twist the delicate cartilage in a direction that it wouldn't go. The boy honked in surprise, and Penance jammed the tip of its claw down his ear canal - intending to rupture his eardrum._

_Zack cried out as his ear popped and filled with blood and stabbed desperately at the monster's shield arm. His sword cut through the forearm, narrowly missing the sinews in the monster's elbow. Penance grabbed at its arm, in anguish, and Zack twisted around before the deed could be accomplished, and plunged his sword into the Beast's ribcage._

_The abomination howled and Zack pulled his sword out and attempted to drive his blade straight into the monster's heart. Penance blocked the stab by throwing up its shield to deflect the blow and casting Defense of Lust at the last moment. Zack plowed head-1st into the monster's reinforced shield and was knocked back into the dirtied shower stall on the far end of the room. Penance roared as he landed face-down in the foul, stagnant water that had accumulated in the drain._

_Zack pushed himself up and spat out the slime in his mouth. He dashed out of the bathing area as Penance pranced towards him, smiling like a wolf, toying with a deer. The monster arched its three tails, swishing them agitatedly from side to side, and started circling around him, trying to find a good angle to fire off its electricity attack. Zack responded by placing Magic Barrier around himself and casting several defensive spells. He stood still, goading the monster to attack him, which of course, it was unable to resist doing._

_Penance leapt into the air and sent blue-white lightning hurtling his way. And he, in turn, ducked and countered, Reflecting it right back at the abomination. The Beast screeched as it was fried with its own attack. It dropped to the floor with currents of electricity racing through its body, and its skin burning. Somehow it managed to land on all four feet, like a cat. Zack gaped at it as it swiveled around and batted at his injured hand with a clawed paw._

_"I hit him straight in the head," he gasped, barely managing to pull his hand away in time. "An attack like that should've ended the fight. He should be dead. He - "_

_"He has a Lightning Armlet on," Angeal ominously said, "and you're not wearing one; if you get hit, you're going to be badly injured. You need to hurry, Zack, and finish this fast."_

_Zack's features tightened. "I know, I'm outta my league," he replied with cast down eyes. He discarded the Venom Shock he had on, and slipped the Elemental Blade gem he seldom used into the hilt of his sword. His blade flared to life, sizzling with the power of thunder, burning with the energy of fire, and shimmering with the light of the North. He brandished his crackling weapon and strode forward with embers and ice particles tornadoing around him, and billowing about. He looked like some ancient Norse god emerging from a snowstorm, and Penance looked like some demonic creature as it rushed forth to meet him, bristling and raging._

_The ugly thing reared up on its hind legs like a horse as they converged on the same point, and soared over him, clawing at him and stomping him with its forepaws. He ducked underneath its arms as it swung them too wide, and drove his sword into its belly. Penance tore the weapon out, hurled his sword outside the room, and cast Defense of Lust in front of the door to bar his way. It gashed him across the forehead with its claws as he tried to race for the crystalline-wall covered door, and smacked him in the face with its three tails - ripping his cheek open._

_He slugged it back with Costly Punch, shattering the knuckles in its right-hand, and unsheathed the combat dagger he kept in his sock. He plunged the much smaller blade into the freak's chest, and got bitten for the pain he caused it. He rolled away to get out of claws' reach and ran around to Penance's blind side to get in another attack. The monster spun around to confront him and he used a double salto mortale away. By the grace of the Planet, he pulled off the landing without seriously injuring himself. He dashed back in and spun towards his foe like a top, slashing at it with Assault Twister, and Penance barely had time to block the attack with its shield._

_They fought like this for awhile, with Penance clawing and biting at its prey, and Zack stabbing it whenever he could find an opening and get in close. Whenever he could, he combined the stabs with elemental attacks and Enemy Skill moves he'd learnt from powerful lab specimens. He stabbed the monster in the back, across the chest, and once in the throat, and it raked up his legs, shoulders and arms. It made him bleed from ten different claw and bite wounds, and he made it bleed from twenty-eight. He weaved in and out, wondering when it would fall down and bleed to death, and it continued to pursue him relentlessly, even though the life was leaking out of it from all the stab wounds. He dodged and double-flipped away from the monster, and bounced off its back like an Ahriman, pulling off moves that he shouldn't have been able to perform in his weakened condition. Angeal looked after him incredulously, shocked that he had such willpower, as he charged after Penance._

_The monster parried and blew its opponent back. It countered with Wings of Pride. Black and white feathers shot from its hands, whistling as they raced towards their target. Zack was forced to Jump up to a rafter to save himself from the area effect attack._

_He dangled precariously from the rotting ceiling by his good hand as the monster circled about below, searching for a way to get him down. The Beast did not have enough energy left to cast Wings of Pride again to knock him off his rafter, and he was too weak to pull himself up, and crawl out through the hole in the roof. It was taking everything he had just to maintain his hold and keep his legs locked around one of the support beams. He cast another Enemy Skill-spell as he hung on for dear life. White Wind washed over him as he dug his nails into the splintering wood, slowing down the rate at which he was losing blood, and healing his face. When the healing magic stopped, his cheek no longer looked like a split open grapefruit and the nerves in that area no longer felt as though they were on fire._

_"Zack," Angeal exclaimed, as apprentice's fingers started to slip, "where did you learn that move from?"_

_"From a flying bat monster in the lab," Zack groaned. "Luxiere and I snuck in to see the animals the Turks'd brought back, and he got it into his head to cast Manipulate on it. That's how I know it. I also learned Dragon Force, too."_

_Angeal cast a quick glance at the monster. His dead eyes narrowed as Penance reared up again, and slashed uncoordinatedly at Zack; the Beast had snatched a piece of chain off the wall and was now swinging its makeshift weapon at the boy like a whip. He whispered his apprentice's name as the chain fell mere inches short of striking Zack in the legs. His Puppy would be in huge trouble if the monster succeeded in knocking him to the floor. A fall from such a height would break bones and cause severe trauma. "Cast Dragon Force," he told the boy, "and get out of there."_

_Zack grimaced and fired off the spell. Blue-green light swelled about him, shielding him from the monster's most lethal magic-attacks and minimizing the amount of damage he took from its physical attacks. The abomination recoiled, blinded by the intensity of the bright eye-burning beams, and Zack sprang into action._

_He dove down from the rafters and landed between the monster's shoulder blades. The force of his weight on its back caused the monster to fall, and a violent kick between the shoulder blades sent it bowling over onto its side. The whip flew from its hands and Zack made sure to pick the piece of chain up and hurl it out the window so Penance wouldn't be able to use it again him again. He was getting ready to fling himself upon the Beast and stab it repeatedly when the unthinkable happened, and his combat dagger snapped in two._

_Penance climbed to its feet._

_Zack stared blankly at his broken weapon. He threw the now useless dagger away, and blasted the monster with Trine and Mantra Magic, wrecking its tail bones, and reducing its wing to tatters. And it repaid him for his kind treatment by giving him a taste of nail studded plywood._

_Zack fought back hard as the monster caught him by the wrist and slammed his hand onto a wooden board that a construction worker had left behind._

_The nails passed through the center of his palm, crunching into bone and slicing through muscle. He went crazy as they ripped into his tendons, reinjuring them, and put puncture holes in the protective layer of film that had formed over his torn-open skin. Yellow-white pus bubbled out through tears in the film, and blood squirted out between his fingers as Penance mashed his hand up and down against the piece of wood, and rolled it around to inflict maximum damage. A cry poured out of him as the Beast dug its claws into his tendons and tried to yank them out, and a nail impaled his thumb. He retaliated with Costly Punch, taking his good hand and driving it into Penance's chest, right below the Beast's heart._

_Costly Punch hit home, snapping Penance's ribs and sending the monster crashing into the barrier it had placed over the door. The barrier broke and Zack ran out to retrieve his practice sword. He activated his Curaga materia and frantically spammed Cure spells on his bleeding body as he staggered down the hall._

_The bleeding stopped as potent healing energy washed over him, but the trauma such severe blood loss had caused continued to affect him. His pupils dilated as he bent down to pick his sword up with his undamaged hand and he felt disoriented and dizzy. It took him several tries to grasp the hilt of his sword with his cold, pale fingers and once he almost fell. His heart thundered in his chest as he thrust out his bad hand to stabilize himself, the organ beating so loudly and so erratically, that he thought that at any moment he might go into cardiac arrest. Angeal hovered over him, like an angel, as he pulled himself up and pointed his sword at the monster. He sniffled in pain as he swung unsteadily at his opponent. End of Gluttony was wearing off and he was in agony; having his back broken by Sephiroth had not been nearly as excruciating as what he was going through now._

_"He's bleeding worse than I am," he strained, his arms threatening to give way beneath him. "How can he keep going? Does he have some kind of crazy Regen running?"_

_Angeal planted himself next to his apprentice, even though he knew Penance would just pass through his ghostly form again. "No," he hissed, his fury spiking, "he's not using Regen. He's running on sheer willpower, just like you. Don't give up, Zack."_

_"I - I won't," Zack replied. He hardened his eyes, lowered his weapon and launched himself at his opponent ._

_Penance yowled in dismay at its airborne foe, and tried to use what little spirit energy it had left to cast Defense of Lust. Angeal's eyes widened as crystalline walls with needle-sharp thorns started to form around in front of its body, but there was no need for concern. The Beast was too weak to put up its Barrier at its full potency, and the Puppy easily crashed through the translucent panels. Gleaming glass-shards shattered harmlessly and spectacularly around the two of them, refracting white light as they plummeted towards the sticky floorboards. Rainbows swirled majestically about monster and boy as Zack used the last of his strength to perform Octaslash: a Limit Break he had dishonorably learned by spying on Sephiroth, who had refused to teach it to him._

_Dark, ink-colored blood splattered across the cheery-colored beams of light on the floor, as the rapidly fading 1st rained blow after blow upon Penance. Waves of kinetic energy from his sword slammed into the monstrosity, ripping open its shoulders and unprotected flank._

_A particularly powerful blow cut right through Penance's shield, splitting the buckler down the center, and glancing off the mechanical fingers on the other side. The Beast tripped and Zack surged towards the brute and cleaved the now unrecognizable face in the creature's stomach. His blade severed the lower part of the face's jawbone and inflicted devastating damage upon what remained of the upper teeth. The mangled jawbone fell to the floor with a disgustingly loud plop and Zack darted in to deliver the final blow. He reared back to give the monster Costly Punch to the heart, and Penance whipped around to finish him._

_The Beast caught Zack's good arm as he came swooping in, and pulled the limb in a direction that limbs weren't supposed to go. The young 1st gasped and Penance quickly yanked his arm in another direction, breaking it in several different places in a mere matter of seconds. The boy jerked back in anguish, and the monster went on the offensive now that he had a damaged hand_ and _a damaged arm._

_Zack screamed as Penance seized his sword and plunged it into his good arm, severing sinews that helped with movement at the elbow. He pitched forward in shock and the monster took its shield and slammed the damaged buckler into his back. The long, sharp tusks adorning the shield tore through his shoulders, and punctured the fragile trapezium muscles that rotate the neck, and open up breathing in the room in the upper chest._

_Zack gurgled and tried to right himself. Blood flew from his mouth and his fingers groped clumsily at empty space. Penance limped up to him, as his body began to spark with green-energy, and swatted at him, the way a cat swats at a bug or a toy. The blow sent him crashing to the ground and the dying monster collapsed at the same time he did. Angeal shot out of the shadows and dropped beside him._

_"My god, is this what I_ did _to you?" the winged man exclaimed._

_He stretched out beside his Puppy and slid a spectral hand underneath his young friend's bloodstained neck. His mechanical palm cradled the boy's head as Zack sprawled on the floor and stared, like a person who has come to terms with the fact that they are going to die, at the clouds he could see through a gap in the ceiling. Stringy pieces of skin that resembled regurgitated chunks of ravioli oozed out at him as he caressed Zack's sticky, disheveled bangs. He ignored the mess and pressed his degraded forehead against the boy's scarred, clawed up chest. He breathed deeply as he listened to the faint- murmur of his apprentice's heart; after all the trauma that Zack had been through, it was a miracle that it still beat and he suspected fully mastered Regen materia was the only thing keeping his Puppy alive at the moment._

_A sob rose in him as the boy's mangled fingers twitched and the muscles in the kid's cheeks and throat moved with great difficulty. His loathsome eyes teared up as his apprentice groaned and struggled to force oxygen into lungs that felt like they were going to burn up. He hoped Zack would not make an effort to speak. Attempting to do so would just end up causing pain and costing the boy energy they could not afford at this point to waste. Zack needed to conserve his strength. Help would soon be on the way. The army would soon wonder why the fighting had stopped and come upstairs to investigate and to provide aid. They'd have powerful Cure materia with them - and combat medics - and all would be well._

_"You're going to be okay, Zack," Angeal soothed, stroking his Puppy's cooling skin. "The army's here. They'll help you and get you evacced to a medical hospital. Hold on. It won't be long now."_

_"Will you come too?" Zack pleaded, afraid that Angeal would stay behind once he was in the care of the army and the Turks. His good hand opened and his mentor took it, squeezing it with invisible fingers. "Please, come with me. I don't want to go alone."_

_Angeal nodded vigorously and draped his wing protectively around the dying boy. "Of course," he promised with all his heart, "I won't leave you. I'll follow you wherever you go. We're going to get through these nightmares together, Zack."_

_Zack made a choking sound in response and released some of the build-up in his lungs. He continued to stare catatonically ahead, his pupils fixed on a black hole that was spreading, like spilled ink, across the overcast sky above them. It was the very same one that the Angeal from his memories had seen earlier, before transforming into Penance, and it was visible to him as well now, now that the life was fading from him and he was knocking on Death's door. His lips parted with amazement as he found that he_ could look through the Rift, _and see what was happening at that moment, in the present, back in Midgar._

_Fresh tears flowed from his eyes as the Church materialized in the center of the black hole - tall, impenetrable and filled with dazzling white-light - and he found himself gazing up at **himself,** crying inconsolably. He saw Cloud Strife pace worriedly about the altar, worried that the Turks would burst in on them and catch them, and watched the flower-girl check on an unconscious person in the pews. Whimpers burst from him as he realized that it was Angeal, gone into a vegetative state in order to follow him into the Lifestream, and that the beautiful, glossy feathers floating to the floor around everyone were coming from a large **white wing** jutting from his mentor's back. He didn't want mutation and madness for Angeal. _

_"You aren't going to off yourself now that you know what you are, are you?" he blurted out, suddenly afraid that his mentor would do violence to himself when they returned to their friends in Midgar. "You belong here, just like everyone else, nobody cares that you're different. Please don't kill yourself."_

_Angeal gaped at his apprentice with astonishment, unable to see what had caused Zack to have such a loud outburst. The Rift in the sky was invisible to his eyes and it looked to him like his poor Puppy was going into hysterics._

_"Zack," he said in his gravest and most serious voice, "I give you my word that I won't take my life, ask you to kill me, or repeat any of the other mistakes I made in the past." He paused, wracking his brains to think of something additional he could tell Zack to set his Puppy at ease. A promise not to commit suicide did not feel like it was going to be enough. "I've come to terms with what I am," he settled on saying, "and have accepted that I'm a monster."_

_Zack's heart rate sped up at these words, and he coughed softly to show that he disagreed with them. "You're not one," he rasped, his voice barely audible. After everything he'd seen and been through, he would be damned if he let Angeal fall into thinking he was a monster again. "Never were, and never are gonna be one. A monster wouldn't have gone after me. Monsters don't care who they hurt. You - "_

_"You're going to end up hurting yourself if you keep arguing with me, Zack," Angeal sternly said, deciding that this had gone far enough. Zack was killing himself trying to convince him he wasn't a monster. "You need to take it easy and rest, Pup." When the boy continued to protest, his voice grew even harder._ "Please," _he half-snarled, half-begged his apprentice._

_Zack immediately fell silent, taken aback by how unpleasant his mentor sounded. Loud and threatening was not at all like Angeal. He mouthed "yes" to show obedience and looked up, staring once more at the Rift in the sky._

_The Church inside it vanished as he lay there helplessly, trapped in the mire of his memories. Shinra Headquarters materialized in the sacred building's place, shining brightly against the darkness of the abyss. The blood in Zack's body ran cold as President Shinra and the department heads walked into the Shinra Headquarters parking lot and were bombarded by TV crews. The dying boy watched with disgust as microphones were thrust into the face of the President and paparazzi mobbed Professor Hojo, demanding to know how it felt to be given a lifetime contract with Shinra Electric Co. "Congratulations, Professor!" signs were tossed into the air, and confetti thrown at the podium the wretched man was shitting all over. Hojo, it appeared, was going to be promoted to Head of the Science Department. They were so doomed._

_The scene in the Rift changed again as Hojo leaned forward to pick up the microphone. Zack was spared having to listen to the bastard give an "I deserved it speech." Headquarters receded into the shadows and a run-down train station bulged from where it had once stood. Little Rufus Shinra solidified on the platform, dressed to impress in a white suit and leather loafers. A slender, auburn-haired woman emerged from behind an overturned car and beckoned to him. Vice President Shinra rose to greet her and they headed down a long, winding tunnel to talk. Zack noticed that her sword arm was heavily bandaged from the wrist to the shoulder, and that she seemed to be doing everything she could to avoid calling Rufus' attention to her injury. The way she held her arm made Zack suspect that there was something seriously wrong with her, and the righteous smile on Rufus' face made him think that the Vice President was doing more than just seeing a hot chick. Zack could have sworn also that he'd seen that girl's face in the Shinra Files before._

_Rufus and the woman faded away before he could find out what they were up to and the scene shifted back to Shinra Headquarters. Zack's heart skipped a beat as Sephiroth slithered out of the darkness. The general grew to menacing proportions in the skinny Rift, and limped over to a file cabinet; even in a vision, Sephiroth just had to be the one who towered over everyone and be larger than life. The young 1st looked on anxiously as his boss fished out an unlabeled prescription jar. His confusion multiplied tenfold as he watched Sephiroth pour out a handful of pills, and recklessly consume all of them. He shook his head in denial as the general stashed the remaining pills at the bottom of a drawer, unable to make sense of what he had just see. It was unfathomable to him that Sephiroth could be abusing prescription pills._

_Sephiroth and Midgar were lost in the black mist, swirling about the Rift. The Rift swelled and then a montage of scenes, with different people, played before his eyes. Dying Doc Hollander came into view. Then Tseng and Cissnei. Then Reno. And last of all, Director Lazard in his office._

_Reno was given his 1st major assignment and celebrated it by perving on Cissnei. The horror in Cissnei's eyes screamed, "Why exactly did we hire this moron again?" Hollander seemed perturbed by all the questions Genesis was asking, and found an excuse to an end his visit to the hospital early. Lazard decided that sending Genesis to Wutai was out of the question, and gave command to a less highly regarded officer instead. The paperwork that had been prepared for Genesis was ripped up, and the Director sank into his chair, relieved that he'd no longer have to deal with that issue._

_Doubt crept into Zack's mind as unfamiliar faces popped up in the Rift, replacing the faces he knew well. A grey-skinned being in a skin-tight black body suit announced its arrival with a loud roar, and spiraled gracefully through the air on tattered bat-wings. Its eyes were demonic, its smile was sadistic and cruel, and it carried a long, high-powered sniper rifle. A dark unlight trailed behind it, like the tail of a comet, and the birds in the sky around it fell back, giving it its space. Miles below it, a teenager in a martial artist costume plodded down a mountain, carrying food bags and camping supplies. She looked overworked, hungry, and ready to curl up where she stood, and fall asleep on the spot. Something about her reminded Zack of Cloud, but he wasn't sure what._

_The two passed from sight and the sky and mountain were sucked into the void. An island rose out of the black-ocean of the Rift, shimmering like a white tower in the middle of emptiness, and a nine-year-old child rode up to it. The child dismounted from her Golden Chocobo and tossed off her hood, revealing a pair of big brown eyes and tomboyishly styled bangs. She bounced from stone to stone, hollering and swinging her shuriken at the suntanned goblins scavenging for fish in the tidal pools. The goblins dropped their fishing nets and ran into the bushes, shrieking for backup, and the girl went racing into a cave overlooking the tall white cliffs. She flung her satchel down and started attacking a giant red orb stuck in the wall. Rare yellow and green materia spilled from her bag as she blasted the rocks around her treasure with elemental spells. She was bending down to claim her prize when a pack of goblins bounded into the cave, brandishing knives and sharp pieces of wood._

_Girl and goblins sank into the Rift, leaving Zack wondering how this misadventurous child tied in to the Shinra-mess they were involved in. He couldn't recall Cloud mentioning anything about a little girl._

_The island shriveled and withered away and an operating table and stasis tubes sprang up in its spot inside the black hole. A pretty silver-haired boy dropped onto the table and Zack was surprised to see that he was dead and his corpse was in terrible condition. Ribs protruded from his emaciated torso and loose, doughy flesh hung from his pencil-thin arms and ankles. Plastic drip-tubes ran in and out of his stomach and broken capillaries crawled, like ivy, up his legs and cheeks. Lab-rats (children, Zack sorrowfully noted) floated about in the pods behind him and a scientist slouched across his chest, head and neck gruesomely twisted in a direction that they should not go. From the look of it, the scientist had been strangled. But how, Zack wanted to know, and by whom? The dead boy on the table? Surely that couldn't be. Only in zombie movies do dead people strangle the living, he thought, as the operating table turned over and fell - like a ship that has sailed to the end of the world and is now plummeting over the side - away._

_The dead scientist and the dead boy toppled from view with the operating table and the scene changed for the final time. Midgar re-appeared inside the Rift and Zack once again found himself watching the sorry situation that was unfolding in the Church. The breath hitched in his throat as his unconscious body came back into view, beside the altar, and he noticed that there was something severely wrong with it. It was not in the dreadful shape the dead boy's was in, but it was, he panicked, blurring in and out of focus. One moment it looked solid and warm, the next translucent and ghostly. Like a firefly, it faded in and out of reality ,undecided if it belonged on Gaia with Aeris and Cloud, or in the Lifestream with the dead. A tear slipped down his face as his body in the Church began to pulse. He wondered if this meant that his body would be reunited with his soul, and he would wake up. He'd had just about all he could take of memory-hell in the Lifestream. His sanity hung by a thread now. At any moment, that thread could snap._

_To his distress, nothing changed. The Lifestream wasn't ready to loosen its hold on him just yet. The Planet had more in store for him._

_His comatose body continued to glow within the Rift as he pleaded with the Planet to release him. It was becoming whole again, and his memories were coming back. His consciousness was moving to the next level and he was ascending. But he was too upset to realize this._

_His emotions shot up another notch as his gaze shifted from his body to Angeal's. He went wild with panic when he saw that the same thing that was happening to him was happening to Angeal as well, and that the light flowing into 1st Sergeant Hewley was cold, harsh and fractured, like the arctic light that shines each morning through the coniferous forests up North. A whimper escaped from him as Angeal's body began to blink wildly like a malfunctioning street lamp, and curls of steam arose from its damp pants and sweatshirt. Something inside Angeal was burning up, or being burnt away, and he prayed that it wasn't something that people loved about the black-haired man that was being lost._

_As if in mockery of his fears, a shadow rose up from the floorboards and made for their still bodies. The shade was shaped like the monster he had just fought, and the light around it retreated as it slunk across the floor. A miasma of grey mist trailed after it and sooty ash flew around it, like disturbed hornets. Its long, jagged mane streamed out behind it, smoking with black flame, and the materia orbs embedded in its feathered wing sparked as though they had fires blazing inside their hearts. A cruel looking trident glowed from a weapons harness strapped to its misshapen back, and a familiar looking shield swung from its flank. The foul thing stretched out a clawed hand towards the pews, and Zack whimpered as he watched it position itself directly over their helpless husks. His futilely tried to suppress the sobs in his throat as it pitched forward, falling cleanly into his mentor's body. Like a ghost, it passed right into Angeal._

_Smoke now began to pour thickly off Angeal's unconscious form, billowing into the heavens. The light entering the powerless man grew in intensity, flaring up and flashing with brilliance. The mist hanging over him thickened and burning embers snapped wildly about his steaming body. Penance's translucent, ghostly image formed around him, superimposing itself over him as he jerked about._

_The spirit cast one final look at him, and then disintegrated, dissolving into a million particles._

_The particles were borne away on a warm current, and the light in the Rift dimmed. Church, bodies and pews started to lose their color and turn grey, and the giant gash in the heavens began to shrink into nothingness. Orange-gold skies rolled over the thinning tear, and grey clouds, whom had been displaced by the Rift, floated back in. Zack squirmed as the Rift vanished from view, terrified that he was going to fall down dead, now that these scenes were ending. At that moment, he remembered the comment Angeal had made about needing to "grab a rental" in order to enter his memories. Reason fled from him as he realized that "rental" meant "merge with Penance's spirit." And that Angeal had been speaking literally when he had insisted that he was a monster. To get at him, he shuddered, Angeal had truly become one. "You shouldn't have done it, Angeal," he blubbered, his voice unintelligible and muffled._

_"Shouldn't have done what?" the 1st gently replied. He pressed closer to his Puppy, shimmering softly like a street lamp as he put a hand on the boy's arm._

_"Turn yourself into a monster," Zack mouthed and tipped his neck forward to find out why there was a light hovering above him._

_Like in a dream, his vision sharpened, and things that had previously been hidden from him became visible. His heart clenched as the outline of his mutated mentor coalesced before him- bulky, broad, powerful and terrifying. He shook his head from side to side, staring blindly at the ghostly mechanical fingers hugging his shoulder, and the deformed wing hanging over him. The way the half-feathered, half-scaled appendage arched itself violently in the air made him think of an angry bird trying to defend its kill from marauding scavengers. It did not make him feel as though he was being protected. Instead, it made him feel trapped and smothered._

_Desperation rent his youthful features as Angeal reached for him. His veins screamed in protest as phantasmal clawed fingers descended upon him and started to thread themselves through his hair. After everything that had happened to him, it was too soon to be comforted and touched. It would be awhile, maybe months, before he'd be ready to have physical contact with Angeal again and tolerate playful hair-ruffling, swats and hugs. He wrenched his forehead away with a sob as Angeal's decayed face sprang up in front of him, looking like something from a nightmare with dried out blood vessels protruding prominently from its cheeks._

_"Please don't touch me." he choked - afraid of how Angeal would react, afraid of what the future would hold for them, and afraid of the turbulent emotions he was trying to, but failing to, reign in. His voice rose hysterically as Angeal's pupil-less eyes narrowed in hurt, confusion, every keening, high-pitched note reverberating with his fears. "You're too close."_

_Angeal backed away, stunned. The boy's expression was one of deepest denial. And the horror in his protegee's eyes was akin to the horror victims of domestic bring with them into the emergency room. "Zack, you can see me?" he asked, making a great effort to force the words out. He stiffened as Zack stared beyond him, refusing to look directly at him, and had to fight hard to keep his breathing controlled as his Puppy curled up into a ball like an opossum. Zack bunched up on the ground reminded him of someone getting ready to give in and take it, and the association made him feel weak and faint. "I - I guess you can," he concluded, voice tinged with sorrow. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have. I - "_

_"I wish you hadn't had done it," Zack said, sounding like a dying son trying to console a grief-stricken father. "But I'm glad you came for me. And told me this isn't going to happen again. I was afraid that we'd tell you and you would, you know - "_

_"I won't, Pup." Angeal whispered, sinking down in despair; Zack was fading fast and the army was showing no interest in coming to check on them, the cowards. He bent over his apprentice - taking care not to touch the boy - and shuttered his eyes to internalize the emotional pain he was feeling. His shoulders hunched, then fell, and his body buckled, as though it was trying to exorcise some terrible torment. The big hands at his side thunked to the floor in despair and the tears fountaining down his face splashed onto his arms; against the black steel of his limbs, they shone like little stars. "This time, I promise things will be different," he swore._

_Zack warbled back at him, and the dreary bath house went utterly and completely dark, as if someone had tripped over a power cord at the sound. In a flash, he was on high alert._

_The Lifestream came pouring in through the windows as he scrambled onto all fours, blurring and changing the world around them. He unsheathed the Buster Sword and brandished it warningly as the floorboards beneath him turned to stone; the rotting beams twisted into straggly ferns; and the rickety panels hardened into sheer green-limestone walls. Water dripped down from the stalagmites forming next to him and the statue of a monster with disproportionately long limbs erupted out of the ground at his feet. He gaped at the sculpture in consternation as tendrils of mako energy swirled about its exquisitely carved wings, and glowing red materia orbs floated down from the sky to nest in the tree roots growing above it._

_"What is this place, Pup?" he breathed as the air shifted and a frigid winter current blew across his neck. "Is this one of your memories?"_

**_εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000εуλ2000_ **

"No it's not; if it was, there'd be chicks with big tits runnin' around, flinging themselves at him and calling him 'Daddy,'" a smug voice declared. "Welcome back to my home away from home."

 _Home away from home?_ the winged man's thundered loudly. Indecipherable emotion spread across his face as he whirled around and saw Kadaj crouching on a ledge with the freshly severed head of a Pollensentia in his hand. The silver-haired menace sneered at him as their eyes met, and Angeal felt his spirits soar. The sight of Kadaj standing there, smiling like a sociopath with dead girl all over him, was the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen. The deranged boy's presence meant that they were no longer in Zack's memories, and were back in the Whirlwind Maze, where, he thought with desperate-relief, he would be able to use his potions and healing materia on his young companion.

"Zack's in need of urgent medical attention," he exclaimed, turning his back on Kadaj. He heard the temperamental little swordsman drop down behind him as he knelt next to his apprentice, and hoped that Kadaj wouldn't start in with a psychopathic rant; it was going to be hard enough healing Zack without listening to mini-Sephiroth yak about doing bad things to people. He placed his monstrous hand on Zack's brow, activated his Full Cure materia and said, "He's badly hurt. I've got to help him. If there's anything you can do for him..." Turning to his Puppy, he added, "It'll be okay, Zack."

Zack gave a shuddering gasp at the feel of heavy clawed fingers splayed across him. He tipped his head to the side so Angeal's massive palm wouldn't be spread entirely over his forehead and he would have room to see. Doing so caused him to catch sight of the Brat creeping up to them. His irises bugged out as he got a good look at the curtain of silver hair exquisitely framing Kadaj's face; the beautifully sculpted cheekbones; and the flawless nose. And then, his body jerked reflexively in fear and in recognition. What, he panicked, was the dead kid he'd seen on the operating table doing here? How come _He_ looked so healthy, after _He'd_ been tortured to death? And why was _He_ covered with blood?

"An-Angeal, that boy."

"Call me Kadaj," the menace offered, holding up his prize. He had always wanted to kill a Pollensentia and he was pleased as can be, now that he had finally bagged one. "I'm your future brother and this dead chicky here is the hottest thing in the Lifestream. She - "

" - is a monster who tried to hurt Kadaj. So in self-defense, he was forced to kill it," Angeal hastily said, knocking the severed head away with the swish of a tail. It went flying into the foliage and the deadly glimmer in Angeal's eyes said, _Don't you dare go after it! And stop saying that you two are going to be brothers!_ "Kadaj helped me find you. I wouldn't have been able to do it without him. He's not an enemy, okay, Zack?"

"Yeah. Okay, helping you's cool..." _...But that thing with the dead girl's not. You know, he didn't kill her in self-defense._ Zack sighed softly, too weak and too tired to ask any questions. He looked up at Angeal, baffled, heart-sick, and in more physical and emotional pain than he'd ever been in before. His eyelids fluttered languidly over bloodshot eyes as green-white energy began to flow from his mentor's hands into his cuts. Angeal's cracked, embalmed face doubled, then quadrupled in his out-of-whack vision - and then he felt water splashing all over his wounds. Then lightheadedness. Lightheadedness was followed by stiffness as the muscles in his body locked up, and stiffness by numbness. And over the loud buzz in his ears, he heard Angeal's voice whisper that he should remain calm. That the elixir that was seeping into his bloodstream wouldn't harm him. That it was the stuff that the other 1sts used in emergencies when there were no doctors around, and that it'd act as an anesthetic and numb him up while his injuries healed.

Kadaj arched perfect eyebrows as he slipped into a state of semi-consciousness. "If I'd had a potion like that on me when I'd fought Dead Brother," the brat frowned, voicing thoughts that were best kept to oneself, "I wouldn't have ended up in the Lifestream. I'd have been able to recover and kick his ass."

Angeal's body went slack as the menace seized the potion in his hands and examined it. Did the child, he angrily wondered, have any empathy for anyone? "Kadaj," he reminded the boy, "he's been through hell. He got torn to pieces in Modeoheim."

 _In Modeoheim?_ Kadaj did a double-take. This was not at all what he had expected to hear.

"You mean, **_you_** did this to him, and _not_ the Shinra army?" he cried, making no attempt to soften his words. "Last time, he fought you, he was able to crawl downstairs and tell the Turks he'd offed ya. Guess he didn't have as much fight in him this time 'round. Probably 'cause he just came from Nibelheim or the Forgotten City. Watching your girlfriend take it through the heart really brings down morale, I tell ya."

He ignored the questioning, agonized look Angeal gave him, and peered down at Zack as the critically injured SOLDIER's body throbbed and swelled with light; there would be time enough to answer Penance's questions, they weren't about to go anywhere. His gaze wandered from the noodle-shaped tendons sticking out of Zack's raw wrist to the ugly tear in the 1st's neck. An eerie un-light shimmered from the depths of his black sockets as the gaping gouges all over Zack's shoulders began to pull themselves closed, and the broken bones in Zack's arm shifted about grotesquely under the shredded skin. It was a miracle, he marveled, as blood fizzled out from a grapefruit-sized hole in the swordsman's shoulder, that Fair was still alive after sustaining such injuries. He and his brothers would've been dead by now if they'd been beaten up that badly. The Mutt's hold on Life was truly amazing, and it gave him newfound respect for the suffering man.

"Poor Puppy. _I_ wouldn't want to be him right now," he murmured in a voice that was devoid of sarcasm.

Something resembling concern flashed briefly in the terror's angelic green eyes. Angeal felt relieved. It was nice to know that Kadaj was capable of caring for people other than himself. Next, he told himself, they would need to work on teaching the outspoken child to control what popped out of that blunt little mouth. They were lucky that Zack was a vegetable at the moment, and wasn't paying attention to what they were saying. "Dead girlfriend taking it through the heart" was _not_ a mental image he wanted to lay on his traumatized friend. Zack had had enough horror to last a lifetime.

"How did Zack's girlfriend die, Kadaj?" Angeal said, deciding that it was important for him, any way, to know what had happened. The Girlfriend sounded like she had been someone who meant the world to Zack and hearing that an innocent young woman had been brutally murdered in his previous life made his blood boil. He would do everything he could, he swore, to protect her and prevent her from re-experiencing the same fate. "Was she a Shinra employee? Did she get killed in the line of duty?" he continued. If the answer was "yes" to both questions, the solution would be re-assigning her, so she wouldn't be sent off to her death. "I don't want there to be a repeat of the past."

"There better not be!" Kadaj glared at Angeal, as though he had just said the most blasphemous thing on the Planet. The brat's eyes flicked from Angeal to the bloody, double-bladed odachi in his small, clenched fist. Penance, Dead Brother and the Puppy, the little Remnant vowed, would be dealing with the business end of his sword if they slacked off, and Aeris got run through again by Jenova. "Living Sister _has_ to stay alive. She absolutely _must not_ die. I'm counting on you to watch her back!"

 _Ah, Her._ Angeal was very surprised. Turk women who could inflict bodily harm on men for having the gall to ask them out were more down Zack's alley than good girls from the city. The Puppy, the vexed man sighed, must have broadened his horizons and started hitting on the girls next door. And it was a good thing for them, the honorable 1st mused, that Aeris and Zack were no longer a couple. Hormones running wild during a crisis was a NO in his book.

"What do I need to do to protect her?" he asked Kadaj, now very worried. It would be very difficult to remove Aeris from the city without people noticing and crying foul, and moving the Ancient into his apartment to keep an eye on her was not an option. Hojo passed by his door every morning on the way to work and would find out in no time that he was living with an attractive woman. "It's going to be hard to protect her if I don't know how she died. You still haven't told me."

Kadaj showed the 1st signs of distress. "Jenova killed her, the goddamn bitch," he bitterly said."Jenova in Sephiroth's form, wielding Masamune."

 _Jenova?_ Angeal's expression became bleak and angry. He had feared that there was more to Jenova than met the eye when he had seen the photos in the Church. A creature that old, he had reasoned, had to have a better offense than sitting in a tank all day and screwing with peoples' minds. Now, he frowned fiercely, he knew that his fears had not been misguided. A shape-shifting monster was going to be a helluva a difficult thing to deal with, especially if it could assume _their_ likenesses and use their weapons with as much skill as they could.

"I'll do all I can to prevent Jenova from coming near her," he reassured the now trembling little brat. "I'll check Hojo's files to make sure that Jenova's not being flown in to Midgar. And if anyone who approaches her seems off to me, I won't let them inside and'll interrogate them. Your sister - " - he choked here, cringing at the word he had just used. He did not understand why Kadaj kept calling everyone 'brother' and 'sister' when they weren't related.- " _will_ be safe.

"Now tell me, why you made that comment about the army. What made you think that they were the ones...who... hurt...Zack?" he faltered.

He let out a sharp breath as the conversation that they were having triggered a long-forgotten memory. White cliffs rose up in his mind and a sea of sand polluted with dead Shinra infantrymen rolled out like a red carpet to greet him. Bullet-ridden helmets, broken guns and downed helicopters shimmered against the blood-tinted sand, creating an eerie and chilling contrast. And lifeless, mangled army-grunt heads smiled out at him from the darkness of his fragmented memories. Who, he wanted to ask Kadaj, clutching his head in pain as he struggled to rationalize what he was seeing, could have caused so much carnage? Could it, he gulped, have been Zack taking on the entire Shinra army in a last ditch race for freedom, after Modeoheim? Hojo and Hollander, he realized, would have set their eyes on Zack with him dead, and ordered the army to bring the boy in to be their new lab experiment. And Zack would have fought to the death rather than be taken alive.

"What did the army do to Zack?" he gathered up the courage to say. He had a feeling, as the words fell from his mouth, that he already knew what had happened. It would have been impossible for Zack to survive such a confrontation. "Did they kill him?"

"Yep, they did." The brat was as outspoken as ever. "Very gruesomely too. They shot him up and then, when he was down, took a gun and gave it to him in the face. The shithead who pulled the trigger was that SOLDIER-reject Fair ran some training missions for, 'cause he couldn't do 'em on his own!"

Angeal made a strangled sound and turned away from the sharp-tongued child. He dropped beside Zack, scooped his Puppy up in his oversized arms, and clung to him like a mother holding onto a child she is about to lose. He tentatively weaved his clawed fingers gently through his apprentice's bloody bangs , all the while whispering promises that he'd protect him, that there would be no showdown with the army, that they would all make it out alive. His grief-stricken movements were robotic and unnatural, and his voice sounded as though it would only be a matter of minutes before it gave out. Kadaj moved behind him as he enfolded himself around Zack, looking fragile, lost and overwhelmed. It seemed to the little Sephiroth clone, in that moment, like the very air was suffocating him, and he was on the verge of some violent agitation. Or some terrible, desperate realization that he'd just had. "How long did Zack suffer? Please tell me, they made it quick," he said at length.

Kadaj's body language indicated that they hadn't. Angeal's shoulders tremored. "Who ordered Zack's death?" he demanded, voice wavering as two silhouettes flickered before him in the recesses of his mind; one was small and had gravity-defying spikes sticking poking, like porcupine quills, out of their head. The other was long and lean and was stretched out on the ground on their back in a dying position. Every nerve in his body screamed in anger and protest as these silhouettes sharpened into Zack and Cloud.

"Not Sephiroth, I hope," he continued. It would kill him if Sephiroth had had anything to do with this _atrocity_.

Molten lava blazed in Kadaj's green eyes. "No, Professor Douchebag. With President Shinra's blessing!" the boy practically spat.

 _Hojo, again_! Angeal put his head in his hands and shook with silent anger, the predator in him itching to take his hands and wrap them around Hojo's neck. It seemed that that bastard was behind every terrible thing that had happened to them in their past lives. Now, he sighed soundlessly, he understood why Cloud Strife was making plans with people over the phone to murder the Professor. Assassination, he was now forced to admit, was the only way to deal with someone as sick and influential as Hojo. They would never be able to get the Professor removed from power with the army protecting the slimeball.

"Was Strife one of the people who was sent to kill Zack? He was with Zack, the day he died. What was he doing there?" he needed to know, voice heavy with resignation. Never, you could tell he was thinking, had he imagined a day like this would arrive.

Kadaj smiled darkly, sensing the conflict within him. _It's about time you stopped seeing everything in black and white,_ the brat silently laughed, _And started acting like, um, normal people._ Aloud, however, the menace said: "Dead Brother was hiding in the rocks while the Puppy got gunned down. He was kinda hung over on mako and couldn't do shit. By the time he came to his senses, the Mutt was dying, and the army was in retreat! His widdle mind couldn't handle what it'd seen and he went a little bit _mad!_ He started pretending he was your Puppy, and runnin' around callin' himself Cloud Strife, SOLDIER 1st Class. The poser. SOLDIER 1st Class my ass. He'll never be like _me_ or _Sephiroth!"_

Angeal opened his mouth to reply to that comment, and then quickly closed it, deciding that ignoring what Kadaj had said would be best. Kadaj's attitude was making his stomach turn over like clothes in a wash machine - it was so repugnant - and what he had just learned about Cloud Strife's mental state made him feel ill at ease, because it went against everything he knew about Cloud. Nothing he had seen, hence far, gave him reason to believe that Cloud was as emotionally unstable as Kadaj claimed.

"Why do I feel as though I was there, when all this happened? " he murmured, steering the conversation away from Cloud Strife so Kadaj wouldn't launch into another Dead Brother dissing rant; the boy was wasting valuable time trying to convince him Cloud killed kittens. He blinked as hazy images from that fateful day streamed past him, like footage from a film reel. "Was I ...?"

"You were in the Lifestream, watching the fight," answered Kadaj, his voice a strange combination of pity and anger. "And the monsters you merged with were 'ere, watching it as well. _Remember_ what I told ya about getting your memories back from them?"

 _Y-yes, I remember!_ Angeal shook, afraid that the monsters inside him were going to use what he was remembering against him, and try to take over his body again. When nothing happened, he said, through chattering teeth, "Everything feels so real to me. The guns. The helmets..."

 _The bullet wound in his head!_ his heart wailed as he was treated to gory image after gory image in his mind's eye. He gazed ahead blindly as he saw Cloud crawl through the mud to reach Zack, and Zack attempt to sit up to ruffle the younger boy's hair one last time. And then he felt himself weakening and growing numb all over as he watched Zack pull Cloud down, covering that pale, petrified face with blood. Words that he could not hear were exchanged between the two, and then Zack surprised the hell out of him by passing the Buster Sword to Cloud, and whispering what looked like, "You're gonna be my living legacy." to the traumatized blond. His vision fogged up as Cloud took the sword, and the guilt that had been building up inside him as he'd been remembering all this, slammed hard into him, hitting him like a physical blow. All this, he now knew, was _his_ fault. Had he not killed himself, he mourned, he could have kept Zack out of the clutches of the army. And had he accepted what he was and dealt with it quietly and calmly, the way he was dealing with it now, Professor Hojo never would have found out his nasty little secret and ordered them brought in for vivisection. He would have been able, he nearly told the bloody boy in his arms, to keep passing himself off as a human being and protect the people he cared about.

"I'm sorry, Zack," he whispered, instead, his face full of dreadful, disconcerting grief. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I never wanted you to get hurt."

Over and over again, he repeated it, as though he were reciting a mantra. Kadaj looked at him nervously, unsure what to make of his great, overwhelming pain. Part of the boy empathized with what he was going through, and another part was horrified that he was being so open with his emotions. Emotions, the Remnant had been led to believe (1st by Jenova, then by Hojo), were a sign of weakness, and should be suppressed at all costs. At last, the little brat said, "If it's any consolation, he forgave you when he died and met ya in the Lifestream. The 1st words outta that goofy mouth of his were, 'Can I have wings like yours, now that I'm dead?' And the next thing he said after that, was, 'So, when are we gonna resume my lessons? I want to be in top shape when Hojo gets here, I have a score to settle with him.'"

Angeal's heart flip flopped. Zack truly was the most forgiving person in the entire Planet... "What else did he say _?"_ he dumbfoundedly replied, and as he did so, the clawed finger that he had been running across Zack's face slipped and fell.

Skepticism turned to remorse as Zack's cheek split open and blood began to dribble down the young 1st's too-pale neck. Angeal held his stained hands up to the light, staring at them as though he couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. Minutes seemed to fly by as he turned them over, trying to make sense out of what had just happened. He made a hurt sound as his scarlet flecked claws shimmered eerily , feeling sick and frustrated that he had brought pain upon his Puppy _again_. "I'm sorry I did that. I got distracted," he apologized, quickly pulling himself together. No good would come of dwelling on what he'd done, and _accidents with ridiculously proportioned, oversized monsters who are just learning how to control their limbs are bound to happen,_ he counseled himself.

Kadaj reached out and violently grabbed his beastly steel hand as it closed around a High Potion. "Stop!" the pretty boy burst out, frowning fiercely at him. "Don't do that! You'll waste a _good_ potion!"

Angeal hesitated. "A potion, though, will _heal_ him," he argued.

"No, it won't! Potions and elixirs aren't gonna do shit, and neither'll that fancy-smancy Full Cure materia of yours!"Kadaj shot his companion an indignant look and placed his palms on the semi-conscious boy's forehead. He cradled Zack's skull hesitantly, as if he was trying to figure out how to be gentle. Ephemeral, emerald-colored light enveloped his metallic fingertips as he gathered his spirit energy together, and started to pour his healing-power into the X-shaped cut on the Puppy's cheek. Angeal hovered over him, like a hawk, watching agitatedly as the river of blood streaming across Zack's face began to thin and dry out, and the torn flesh started to pull itself closed . He increased the flow of energy as the winged 1st pressed towards him, wanting Angeal to see how much effort it was taking him to treat such a small wound. From behind him, there came a swift intake of breath as he spread his fingers open to reveal a vibrantly pulsating Enemy Skill materia - "Angel Whisper," he said - in his hand. He decreased the intensity of the energy, again, and looked up, hoping that his point had been made; it was physically taxing him to keep dicking around with an injury that they were both incapable of healing. The only person who could help at this point, was a plastic surgeon, and where they would find one crazy enough to operate on a loud, obnoxious kid like Fair, the Goddess of the Planet only knew!

"Feel free to try healing him if YOU want, Penance," the brat said, getting up off the ground and dusting himself off. He studied Angeal carefully, curious to see if his four-legged friend was going to be stubborn and start spamming Full Cure on Zack, or sit down and listen. "You won't have any better luck than I did. It's useless. He is a lost cause. No one can heal a wound made by a WEAPON."

Angeal flashed the pint-sized terror an emotionally drained smile. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for another horrifying revelation. "What is a WEAPON?" he asked, his voice at once resigned and sad. With all the hell they'd been through, he expected Kadaj to tell him that a WEAPON was a monster who needed to drink blood to stay alive. Or a beast that went on a killing-spree every time the moon was full. "I assume," he bleakly said, "I am one?"

"Yep, you are, and a WEAPON's a big, mean, kick-ass force of destruction," Kadaj saucily replied. "WEAPONs are killing machines." As an after-thought, he bitterly added, "They're also the Planet's _bodyguards._ Anyone who wants to smack her around, like I do, has to go through _them_."

Angeal flinched at the little brat's words and inhaled deeply, not liking the picture Kadaj was painting. He cast his eyes down and focused on a spot on the mako-coated cavern floor, his heart pounding out an unhappy staccato. His gaze was distant and far-off and you could see his face muscles fighting against the tension in his body. But he remained calm and composed, refusing to let the dread and the sudden emptiness that he was feeling consume him. Never again, he repeated to himself, would he let his emotions drive him down the dark path. He would find out as much information as he could about what he had become, he promised Zack, and try to use his new powers to stop Hojo and protect the people he loved. Some of them, he reluctantly conceded, could turn out to be very useful. Penance's fierce regen and resistances, he realized, could give him an edge in battle, and the Beast seemed to be a competent healer. All of the cure spells he'd casted on Zack, he recalled, had been dual-casted, and very potent. _In every storm cloud,_ he told himself, _there is a silver lining_.

"Why do you refer to WEAPONs as 'bodyguards'?" he wearily said, wishing that he had just developed these new abilities naturally, instead of having a teenager trick him into absorbing a bunch of bloodthirsty monsters. "Do they protect the Planet?"

"Yes," Kadaj told him. "They do. They lie around like fat kids in front of a TV, until the Planet needs them. Then they wake up, haul ass over to the person threatening her, and _stomp_ him into the ground!"

Angeal's pupil-less eyes regarded the pubescent punk with suspicion. Where, he wanted to ask, is evidence to back up the things you're saying? Having seen how difficult he could be for someone to take down, he could accept that he was some kind of super-boss monster. But _Protector_ of the Planet? _Him?_ That was a bit of a stretch to believe. "Can you prove to me I am a WEAPON?" he demanded.

Kadaj laughed derisively at him. "Sure as hell can. You want proof? C'mere, I'll give you PROOF. Look, over here. I'll show you what a WEAPON looks like. This's where all the WEAPONS live."

The menace held up Souba and pointed it at the brilliantly-glowing mako wall behind them. Angeal followed the blade with his eyes, and was astonished to find himself staring at hulking shapes on the other side of the crystalline cliff. The degrading man knitted his brows and frowned deeply as the shapes sharpened into sleeping behemoths with thick tails, massive clawed feet and terrible fangs. Bizarre appendages jutted out of their backs and ran down their giant shoulders, and the scales on their armored, bio-mechanical torsos shimmered eerily in the moonlight. Their elongated limbs looked like they had been frankensteined onto them, and their faces were the ugliest things the mutated swordsman had ever seen. They were unnatural, freaky and clearly part of the same genus of monsters as Penance, yet Angeal felt no fear or terror as he peered into their prisons. They looked innocent and peaceful, resting in their mako cocoons, and each one of them managed to project very human traits and emotions. And unlike Him, Angeal sadly mused, seeing himself reflected in the slumbering monsters, they hadn't lost sight of what was important and turned their backs on the being they cared about.

"I see what you mean," he heavily said, his soul aching with fresh guilt, and his resemblance to those monsters weighing upon his heart. "I do look like one. But I don't see how I can be one, when I have Jenova cells in my body, and work for a company that's sucking up the Planet's resources - "

"And you think the Planet isn't gonna overlook shit like that? You have everything the Bitch is looking for in a new recruit: brute strength, brains, and that annoying, fiercely loyal attitude of yours!" Kadaj snapped, sounding like Genesis at his worst ("Oh hell," Zack would later say. "Just what we need. _Another GR.")._ "Not to mention, it took no effort on her part to bring you into the fold. You did all the work for her, pouncing on those monsters and turning yourself into Angeal Penance. BAM! New WEAPON! Best of all, he's free.

"And oh," the brat felt the need to add, "she's thrilled to have you back. She is just beside herself. I came down here to hunt, because the cave where we met up's now filled with happy, sparkly light, and it's getting on my nerves. The dumb bitch."

Angeal's spirit contracted in anguish and in wonder. Being forgiven by the Planet eased his heart and lifted a huge burden off his shoulders. And hearing that the Planet had plans for him gave him a sinking feeling and made him worry. Cloud and Zack, he gulped, would be mentor-less and fighting a dangerous battle against Hojo, on their own, if the Planet decided to keep him here in the Lifestream and stick him hibernation with the other WEAPONs. The boys and needed him more than it needed him, at the moment, and he hoped that it wouldn't try to imprison him here, against his will, when he handed in his resignation letter and refused to show up for work. He'd walked off the job before, he hollowly thought, when he'd decided to commit suicide by Zack, and he was more than ready to do so again; this time without the violence. The people he cared about came before the Planet , and always would.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask to be 'discharged from active duty,'" he told Kadaj. "I can't stay here - " - _or stay like this,_ he cringed, praying that he wouldn't wake up, looking like Penance when he returned to his body in Midgar - " - when my friends are in trouble. They'll get hurt if I don't help them! The Planet will have to find some other monster to be its new WEAPON."

He paused, waiting to see if the Planet would react to his refusal. He expected it to do something intimidating, if it responded, to make him think twice about what he was doing, like cause the walls of the Maze to shake in anger. Or plunge the cavern into darkness. It was, he assumed, unused to being rejected. And he was, he reckoned, the 1st person to ever say no to it two times in a row.

"Is there something I should know about?" he said in the meantime, turning to Kadaj, who was grinning at him like a kid happily watching the drama unfold on an internet-snark site. The menace's eyes were big as plates and the gleeful, "will you pass me more popcorn" smirk on the brat's face made him feel as though there was a secret being kept from him. "What is so humorous?"

"You telling off the Planet. You're _funny._ " Kadaj chuckled and went over to the monster-statue Angeal had briefly glimpsed when he and Zack had returned. The brat picked it up, so he could see that it was some kind of WEAPON-bust, and then, to Angeal's horror, took the piece and dumped it on the cavern floor, where it shattered. "It's about time someone had the balls to do what you did," the menace continued, eyes eagerly darting around the room for more statues to destroy. Wrecking the place would be a great way to teach the Planet you don't send Remnants to the Lifestream! "The pay check the Bitch gives is shit, the hours are terrible - have open availability until we're all in danger, sheesh - and the job's worse than working at a fast food joint. You should take the job, though. She sure as hell's not going to give it to Genesis with him reciting bad poetry at her. She _hates_ bad poets."

Angeal glanced nervously at the mako wall, his focus divided between what Kadaj was saying and doing. His concern was the WEAPONs, who were bound to wake up if the crazy teenager kept making a ruckus and destroying statues in their shrine. He could only imagine what they would do if they opened their eyes and found their home trashed. "I want you to go stand over there. I don't want you to be in here with these WEAPONs," he sternly said, pointing to a side-passage that looked, from the vantage he was at, free of anything Kadaj could get into trouble with. He buffeted the boy gently with his wing, using the appendage to shove Kadaj down the side tunnel. The indignant child uttered a string of curse words as he lowered his wing to discourage going back inside. "You seem determined to provoke them and cause trouble. Let them sleep."

"Oh you want to see trouble, Penance? I'll give you trouble, snake-face! Nobody tells me what to do!" Kadaj huffed. He pulled out Souba and considered carving his name into the big scaled butt blocking out all the light. Fear of Angeal going back on his word and not telling Sephiroth about him and his brothers stayed his hand. Teaching Angeal that you don't come between a Remnant and his black little heart's desire would have to wait until they'd been revived, and had Sephiroth on their side, letting them get away with murder. Then, the pissed off boy gloated, the fun would begin.

"So," the brat said, sheathing his mean-looking double-edged blade, "did you hear what I said about the job?"

"Something about Gaia being a bad manager?" Angeal shrugged his oversized shoulders apathetically. He couldn't remember what Kadaj had told him, and he wasn't particularly interested in listening to the boy rant about how miserable he would be working for the Planet. It would be a waste of breath talking about service that he wasn't going to be performing, and _we still,_ he almost said to Zack, _need to find a way to get home. I've no idea how we're going to get out of here._

Kadaj heaved an exasperated sigh as the nauseatingly dense man trotted back over to check on his Puppy. How had this turkey, the now beyond-disgusted Remnant seethed, ever managed to get promoted to _1st Sergeant_ ? 1st Sergeants, the fiend silently sneered, were supposed to be intelligent! Not thicker than chocolate pudding pie and slower than molasses. What in the Planet's name, the boy wanted to know, was wrong with the people who'd made the decision to hire this retard? What was their major dysfunction? Had they just handed the position to Angeal, because they needed someone wholesome and handsome to go around, reciting tenants from the book of virtues? It sure seemed that way! What a stupid bunch of dumbasses, the terror thought viciously. When Sephiroth revived him, he vowed, he'd make sure to ride the elevator upstairs to Director Lazard's office and teach the incompetent executive a thing or two about giving idiots Command.

Out loud, though, the evil incarnate child said, "I'm getting SICK of having to repeat everything for you. It's making me soooo mad! Did you take a stupid pill today or somethin'? How the hell can you keep missing the point?"

This time, Angeal _listened_. "What am I missing?" he grunted. "You don't like the Planet, I'm getting that."

"No I don't!" Kadaj straightened himself up and folded his arms, assuming a stance that Angeal recognized all too well. It was one, Angeal grimaced, that he himself used whenever he was dealing with people who were making absolute asses of themselves, and it was downright embarrassing seeing Kadaj imitate it. By imitating him, the boy was saying that he was as being as dense as all those people whom had driven him nuts. "I hate the Planet. I'd love to walk up to her and tell her, to her face, she's a rabid, PMSing bitch. But I don't want to see her bite the big one, because if she dies, my fun's gonna be over. I'll be stuck here, for the rest of all time, listening to all the dead people mope about how bad the after-life is. And I'll be really, really MAD, 'cause you could've prevented all this by taking the god damn job and crushing a few baddies for her, you thick-headed nitwit."

"What're you implying?" Angeal's wing twitched in agitation at this explosion of anger. The barely human man furrowed his thin brows in bewilderment, not understanding why Kadaj was now telling him that he needed to protect the Planet. Protecting the Planet, in his mind, was separate from protecting the people he cared about, disposing of Jenova and bringing the company who had hurt them down. He had not yet realized that fulfilling his personal mission would accomplish the task that the Planet had laid before him, and was beginning to feel quite vexed. "There's no correlation between what I'm doing, and what the Planet wants me to do!"

"Really, there's not?" Kadaj's face turned tomato-red. The boy was so livid that he once again thought about taking his sword and doing bad things to Angeal with it. The older man, the brat bristled, deserved a few good whacks with the flat-side of his sword for being so damn dense. "Okay," the venomous little puff adder hissed, deciding that what Angeal needed was not corporal punishment, but a dunce cap. "I'll EXPLAIN: You find a cure and kill Jenova, leaving the rest of the baddies alive. You say to yourself, 'I don't want to fight them,' soooo you go into hiding with your Puppy, instead of doing the kick-butt, take out the bad guy thing that the Planet wants you to do, and let the Pres and the Professor stay in power. They keep sucking up all the mako energy to make more monsters and get filthy rich. The Planet bleeds to death and you and your friends all _die_. You find yourselves floating around a dead Planet, wishing that you can get rid of the jerk (me) who's following you around, going, 'Ha, ha, ha, I told you so!' 'Damn,' you think, 'I should've taken out all the trash.'

"Now then," the brat continued, "picture this. Instead of hiding, you decide to go to war. You and your friends get rid of Jenova, and clean the Professor and President's clock. You put a non-douchebag in the President's chair - someone with half a brain cell who understands we're all gonna die if they keep going after mako energy - and make sure Shinra takes down all their reactors. And guess what happens?"

"The Planet doesn't die?" Angeal mumbled, his heart jumping at the things Kadaj was saying.

"EXACTLY!" Kadaj threw his arms up, like a person shouting, "Hallelujah!" The glee practically sparked from his eyes. "You and your friends all live happily ever after. 'I'm really glad,' you think, 'I listened to that boy, and did the WEAPON thing after all. I was being a real dumbass, treating him like he was wrong.' And then, after thinking that, you come to guy who kicked your butt into gear, get down on your knees and say, 'Kadaj, I'm sorry, I was so rude to you. You were right the entire time. I am going to make it up to you by getting you whatever you want, and worshipping you like you're a _god_."

 _Damned if I save the Planet, damned if I don't,_ Angeal sarcastically thought, some of his old, dry humor returning; having heard Kadaj's obnoxious explanation, it was hard for him now to feel the lively horror that he had felt minutes ago when he'd learned that the Planet saw him as a WEAPON. His mission and the task the Planet wanted him to do, he now realized, could both be completed at the same time. Taking out Hojo and Jenova to protect his friends, he now saw, would give the Planet the outcome it desired. And removing the President and putting a more responsible person in charge, he agreed with Gaia, was something that needed to be done. The President, he had no doubt, would send the army and Turks after them if Cloud - or that Vincent guy Cloud'd been talking to on the phone - disposed of the Professor, and appoint someone else just as crazy to carry on his work. The sad reality of the situation was that Arthur Shinra was a greedy pig, who loved to wallow in the blood money Hojo brought in. The Professor, Lazard had once told him, generated close to 1 million gil per month for the company with his questionable research, and was involved in non-scientific areas of the company he had no business messing with. The President, the SOLDIER Director had said, treated Hojo like legal counsel, and ran important documents past the sleaze-ball and consulted the corrupt man on everything. They had become so close that the President couldn't make a decision without thinking about how it would affect the company's star scientist. Convincing the President to undergo open heart-surgery, without anesthetic, would be easier than persuading him to put Hojo and his twisted policies out to pasture. Perhaps they'd all get lucky and Hojo and the President would fall into a black hole and vanish off the face of the earth.

Sigh. _Only on TV does that kind of stuff happen!_ Angeal flicked his eyes over to Zack, wishing that things could be as simple as the goofy Saturday morning cartoon shows the Puppy forced him to watch. He was not looking forward to the chaos removing Arthur Shinra - "removing" as in "lock up in jail and throw away the key," Gaia was fooling herself if she believed he was going to be her hired assassin and blow the old man's brains out - would cause, nor the drama that was going to ensue when the Board of Directors started fighting over the President's chair. Prying Palmer's hands off Heidegger's throat and getting Scarlet away from Director Lazard was going to be a monumental undertaking. They would need to send someone loud and tough in to smack some sense into the feuding Directors and restore order. Like Kadaj. Maybe, the winged man only half-seriously mused, keeping Board members in line would be the brat's new job.

The teenager shot Angeal a glare as the older man shook his head at the ridiculous idea. "Hey, dumbass-dog guy," the obnoxious thing shouted, divining that he was a source of amusement for the 1st Sergeant, "I'm dying of boredom, watching you sit here trying to decide what to do. Make up your mind whose goddamn side you're on, so I don't kick the bucket for a third time. I'll be very _mad_ if I die _again_ , and there will be no more Mr. Nice Kadaj." The brat laughed, deeply and darkly, and his lip curved up into a most sadistic smile. "You don't wanna see my dark side when I get mad!"

 _You mean, I haven't seen it yet?_ That came as news to Angeal. "You call the way you've treated me nice?" the 1st dubiously said.

Kadaj went _mmmhmmm_ and arrogantly arched his lovely silver-eyebrows, daring Angeal to give him a lecture on honor and good behavior. When the disillusioned man did not, he cried, "Time's ticking away. II won't be long before all this boredom does me in. Tick tock, tick tock. Tick, tock, tick tock. What's it going to be, Angeal? Are you gonna take the job or not?"

Without hesitation, Angeal replied, "Yes." It was an easy decision for him, now that he knew Gaia was not going to undermine his efforts to save his friends, and that she would die if Shinra were not stopped.

"What was that, Penance?" Kadaj shouted, pretending not to have heard him. The little brat raised his hand to his ear and leaned forward, doing a very childish imitation of a deaf-person. Angeal found it distasteful. "You'll have to speak louder. I can't hear you from the tunnel! Was that a 'yes'?"

"Yes, it was," Angeal answered, staring anxiously at the see-through walls separating them from the slumbering, cocooned WEAPONs. The WEAPONs, he decided, had to be the deaf ones, for the entire cavern was now reverberating with the sound of the boy's voice, and the ghostly critters who lived in this part of the Whirlwind Maze were scattering about like ants who have had their nest overturned. Ironites and Wind-wings were flitting around him and Zack, chittering nervously, and Statues and Killbins were clunking across the cavern floor, hell-bent on getting out of there. It was nothing short of a miracle that the behemoths were still asleep.

"I'll take the job. I'll do it - " - _but it'll be on my terms, not the Planet's,_ he frantically swore, freezing as something cracked directly above him and Zack.

His gaze shot up to the ceiling, where there was an ugly mess of rocks, stalactites and moss entangled in a jumble of tree roots. He went completely still as bits of debris came loose and fell through the quaking canopy. Small, crystallized mako-fragments dropped down, pelting the floor like hail, and a white light shining through the overgrowth. Something, he shivered, as the light grew in intensity and blood-red materia orbs mushroomed out of the snapping branches, was happening up there. But it wasn't a WEAPON waking up, for the WEAPONs were still asleep in their cocoons. The darkness of the canopy, he marveled, seemed to be withdrawing and receding into the light, and the tangle of roots seemed to be coming to life. Withered yellow flowers that had somehow managed to grow in that pile of decomposition, were straightening up, and brown, dried out leaves were regaining their color and becoming green again. Wind was wuthering in through the spaces in the roots, purifying the cavern of the foul, musty stench that had accumulated inside it, and the heavens were now visible. From where he stood, he could see misty clouds floating languorously across a blue-black star-filled sky and make out a sliver of moon. Was this rejuvenation of the cave, he wondered, the Planet's way of thanking him for allying himself with it? Or was this Aeris' doing? He hoped that it was the Ancient's. The Planet would be in for a ton of disappointment when it learned that it wasn't going to be able to dictate to him how to fulfill his mission.

The wind rustled through the leaves as he trotted about the cavern, pondering what he was seeing and angling for a better view of the heavens. His wandering eyes eventually fell upon a statue of a beautiful winged woman, hanging awkwardly from the canopy, and he was suddenly filled with a sense of confusion. He paced about, perplexed, trying to figure out who the statue could be of. At 1st, he thought that the marble lady might be a WEAPON. Then a queen. Then a priestess, who'd lived during the time of Jenova and the Ancients. The soft, ethereal light pulsing from the statue reminded him of the light that had surrounded the flower-girl, back at the Church. But there was no way, he told himself, that this statue could be a representation of Kadaj's Living Sister, because it was covered from head to toe in ornate ceremonial robes, and its face was aged and mature. It radiated power and majesty - traits that sweet, kind Aeris did not possess- and its eyes contained the wisdom of the ages. Looking at it made you feel as though you were in the presence of something that had seen the world begin, and that would see the world end.

"Kadaj," he asked, "did you know that there's a statue of an angel up here?"

 _Oh is there?_ The brat shot up like he'd been hit and whipped out his sword. "That's no angel-statue," the teenager growled, clenching his teeth and narrowing his eyes at the exquisite sculpture. "That's a statue of the Bitch, and this cave's another one of her _shrines_. Figures she'd send us here as a joke. Very funny, ha-ha-ha." He raised his weapon, assuming a stance Sephiroth used when he was about to charge a horde of enemies. "Well, I'm not laughing. I'm PISSED now and you know what I'm gonna do? I am gonna tear that statue down and stomp on it. And then I am gonna break those materia orbs and _desecrate_ this cave. That lady's gonna pay for sending me to the Lifestream!"

Angeal was appalled. "You don't want to do that," he quietly warned the worked up boy. "You'll make the Planet mad."

"And guess what? I don't care. If she gets all butt -hurt over me wrecking her widdle shrine and decides to come here, and make me pay for what I've done, I say bring it on! I'm not afraid of her or her WEAPONs! Now if you'll excuuuuse me, I have to go cause someone grief and suffering," Kadaj sneered, and before Angeal could stop him, he split his double-bladed katana into two swords so he would be able to dual wield, and slice and dice the place with both of his cruel little hands.

He was about to dash into the cavern with the sculpture when the unthinkable happened, and the top of the cave exploded. Rocks and branches were blown everywhere and roots snapped in two. The canopy shook and the force of the explosion caused the colorful materia-orbs to roll over the sides. The goddess-statue nearly pitched forward as the vines supporting it broke, and icy, crystal-colored water containing the life-force of the Planet, began to cascade through the now-gaping hole in the ceiling. Like a monsoon, it came down in bucket fulls, drenching everything that it touched. Zack was doused heavily, and Angeal, who had the misfortune of being directly beneath the hole, was instantly soaked to the bone. The Lifestream spilled through great, gaping fissures in the walls and geysered up through gaps in the sediment-covered cave floor as the shaggy-haired man's arms and limbs went numb with cold. Heavy , man-sized boulders were effortlessly hurled into the air by the mighty jet-streams, and the mako wall, blocking the way to the WEAPONs, was thrown down. The freezing SOLDIER mind flashed back to the miracle Aeris had performed with the flower-bed as mist filled the cavern and a biting, icy wind blew across his face. What was happening now, the brilliant man perceived, was similar to what was happening back at the Church. Only this was far more powerful and far more potent. This, the 1st Sergeant correctly guessed, was the doing of none other than Gaia herself.

"Kadaj, can you help me get out?" Angeal called out to his companion, who was standing warm and dry in the mouth of the tunnel.

The brat shouted back something that looked like "hell no, you're crazy." Angeal's features instantly tightened with displeasure. This was not a good time, the 1st fumed, to start acting like a prima donna over some water. Zack was going to come down with a chill and catch frostbite if they left him lying in the swimming pool that was forming around him. "Please help," the mutated man pleaded, placatingly holding out deformed, oversized hands. "I'm not sure I can lift him onto my back."

 _Sorry, no can do._ Kadaj responded with a stubborn shake of his head. Nothing short of Living Sister showing up and telling him it was okay was going to convince him to leave the safety of the tunnel. It would be suicide, he told himself, to set foot out there when the water flooding the cavern was the Planet's version of Great Gospel. He had no doubt that if he went out to Zack his spirit would be purified of its Jenova taint - like it had been before, when Aeris had casted her Limit-Break to cure the world of Geostigma - and that he'd find himself being welcomed into the Lifestream. Mother's contamination, he believed, was the only thing preventing him from completely passing on, and he was not about to let Gaia take away his security. He and his brothers were going to be revived and spoiled, god damn it! "You, my scaly friend," the boy officiously said, "are on your own. I'll have to kiss causing murder 'n mayhem in Midgar good-bye if I help you, and - don't - you - _dare_ lecture me about having a bad attitude.

"For your information, I have a damn good reason for not going out there," the fiend snarled, thrusting out his water-spattered swords for Angeal to see. They had had the misfortune of getting splashed and now offered irrefutable proof, the boy mirthlessly laughed, that the water was dangerous to him.

Angeal gaped at the proffered swords. The weapons looked like they'd been dunked in acid and run through a metal crunching machine. Steam was hissing off the water-droplets on the blades and there was an unwholesome odor coming from the now useless swords. The entire cave was starting to smell like it had been fumigated. "What happened to them?" the shocked man asked Kadaj.

"They got _wet_ and melted, duh," Kadaj coldly said, tossing his ruined weapons aside. "And the same thing will happen to me if I act like a dumbass and go into that cave with you! It'd make the Planet's day if I went out there, and that water killed off the rest of me. That'd be one less Jenova infested nutcase for her to have to worry about."

Angeal spun around to make sure he wasn't evaporating. "What are you saying? Are you saying that that water can kill people with Jenova cells in their body?" he inquired in as neutral a voice as he could manage. The doubt, though, remained evident in his face, and seeing it there just made Kadaj even more upset. "If that's the case, why aren't I melting? Don't I have Jenova cells in me?"

"Yeah, you do, but the Planet _likes_ you. She's not going to let anything happen to you. WEAPONs for cheap are hard as hell to come by. I, on the other hand, can go die in a tire fire _._ Guess I should go join a union and fight for equal protection in the workplace." Harsh, ear-shattering laughter erupted from Kadaj's throat. The brat came as close to the tunnel mouth as he dared, his accompanying smile hurt and bitter. Red-hot anger radiated off him as he peered out at Angeal, who looked like a shining figure surrounded by emerald-colored flame with the light of the Planet - light, the boy stewed, that rendered him omnipotent and shielded him from losing his enhancements - swirling around him. The silver-haired child's hatred for Gaia quintupled as the White Magic enveloping Angeal spread out and spinelessly stopped short of the tunnel he was cowering in. The goddamn goddess of the Planet, the brat raged, was taunting him for being trapped like a rabbit in a hole, and flaunting how differently she was treating him from Angeal!

"Stupid - vindictive - "

Angeal came forward before the menace could finish, Zack dangling awkwardly from his arms. He rolled his Puppy into the tunnel, then squeezed his massive head and shoulders into the tight space, fighting back the urge to reach for Kadaj and put a hand on his shoulder to reassure him. He had a feeling Kadaj wouldn't appreciate it and he feared the water dripping from his fingers could hurt the boy if it came in contact with his skin. His heart twanged, like a violin string breaking into two, as the little angel in front of him trembled at the sound of the downpour ricocheting off the rocks above them. If there was one thing he truly hated, it was seeing a child in this much fear and pain. He subconsciously shifted closer as the boy shook, the urge to comfort growing stronger. Emotions arose within him at the sad sight - emotions that up until now, had only been reserved for Zack. The boy ceased to be a child he felt the need to protect, and became a young friend he wanted to teach, make happy and share his dreams and pride with. The thought of having the tough-talking, deranged whelp in his life no longer gave him mixed feelings; now he welcomed having him around.

"Kadaj," he gently soothed, wishing that he could pull the boy out of this godforsaken part of the Lifestream and take him back to Midgar with him, "it's okay. The water can't get down here. This tunnel is 100% water proof. You're safe down here. You're going to be all right."

"I- I know that." Kadaj closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to see Angeal standing in the mouth of the cave like a big, faithful dog. He turned aside and retreated inwardly, finding the kindness that Zack's mentor was showing him to be more terrifying than the Great Gospel spell the Planet was casting. His heart cried out as the big man continued to whisper reassuring words in his ear; several times, he came close to getting up and violently pushing the 1st away. Each time, he stopped himself, knowing that it would be wrong and unjust. Why did Angeal, he wondered angrily, have to do this to him? Couldn't Big and Ugly see that he was an asshole who cared only about himself, and treat him like the douche-bag he was?

"Stop talking to me like I'm a little kid!" he blurted out, the green light in his eyes smoldering as he drew himself up. "You're treating me like I'm afraid of the dark with all this 'there-there' crap. What're you gonna do next? Tuck me into bed and bring me a nightlight? I'll have you know, you thickheaded dumbass, I'm not afraid of anything!"

He hoped Angeal would get angry and start lecturing him on pride and honor, like he'd done in the past. Or say something harsh and nasty to him.

Angeal did no such thing. "You're braver then than I am," he said, and Kadaj went ballistic hearing this honest confession. "Cause, I am afraid."

"Oh, yeah?" jeered the little Sephiroth clone. "Strong WEAPON like you shouldn't be afraid of anything. You're _pathetic._ What're you afraid of?"

Angeal's terrifying features softened, giving his face a vulnerable, anguished cast. The deformed man sighed faintly, now in a state of mind where he could think about the Jenova poison inside him. It would not be long, he predicted, before his illness took a turn for the worse, and he began to deteriorate rapidly, like Cloud said he would. These past three weeks, he shuddered, he had been feeling weak, run-down and listless. He had found himself struggling to do simple things that gave him pleasure, and he was fighting, at that very moment, to stay physically and mentally awake. He felt as though he was walking on the border of a dream and his body was aching all over with the pains of degradation. His muscles were burning up, his sides were throbbing, and worst of all, his skin had started to turn mushy. Like an old person's.

"I am...afraid of dying before Jenova and Hojo've been dealt with," he whispered with pain, his greatest fear laid bare. "And leaving my friends behind. The degradation's started, and I've begun to age. Unless a cure's found -"

"Let _me_ see, I want to take a look," interjected Kadaj, with the sharpest intake of breath Angeal had ever heard. He swiveled around like a swamp adder, and violently pushed away from the wall he'd been leaning against. Fresh anger smoldered inside him as he stormed over to his companion, swinging his arms and smashing his heels into the rocky-floor. He came to a halt at the tunnel mouth, his eyes sparking like cinders. Those exquisite irises flared eerily, pulsing with skepticism. Concern appeared in his eyes as he forgot his own well being and reached for the sick man's forehead. He touched the withered skin hesitantly, dreading what he was going to find. He prayed that it would not be degradation; he did _not_ want Angeal to start falling apart. Penance, he reluctantly admitted, yielding to emotions he'd been trying in vain to suppress, was someone he wanted in his life. Mr. Dumb and Honorable was good and kind, and it'd be a damn shame to lose him. He'd be hard pressed to find another person crazy enough to treat him this swell.

"Hold still, you're making this hard on me," the brat commanded, placing his palms firmly on his friend's drenched temples.

Angeal, of course, did not listen. "You've got to stop," he protested, going so far as to bare his fangs at Kadaj. "I don't want your hands to get hurt."

Kadaj laughed humorlessly back at him. That, the menace cackled, had to have been the saddest snarl he'd ever seen. Angeal flat out sucked at trying to be a scary monster. "The only one going to be getting hurt around here is you, if you don't stop trying to knock my hands away," he said, threateningly pointing a finger at the winged man. "Try that dumbassery again and I'll Toad you, faster than you can say 'Zack Fair.' Puppy'll wake up and find you croaking in the puddle, and I bet you forgot to bring your White Cape and Maiden's Kisses with you, eh, eh? Yeah, I thought so. I'm _always_ right."

Angeal shut up and watched the boy with apprehensive eyes. "You shouldn't do this," he repeated.

Kadaj gave the wet man a condescending pat on the head, and proceeded to get down to work. He ignored the trail of smoke, rising up from his now moistened gloves, and tuned out the physical pain his inspection of Angeal was causing him. He had a very high pain-threshold and didn't bat so much as an eyelash as his hands began to sting and blister. The haunting jade color of his eyes deepened as he concentrated, sending out an urgent, unspoken message to Angeal - a message that only someone who had gone through Jenova hell could receive. A bleak, masochistic smile spread across his face as the tainted cells in Angeal's body responded like neurons to his call and began firing off information left and right. Everything that was going on within Angeal was revealed to him like an open book, and what he found made his heart start racing a mile a minute. He looked up nervously, terrified that his outside was reflecting what he was feeling inside; he was not yet ready to reveal to Angeal that he had started to care about him, just a smidgen.

"Your body's in pretty whacked up condition," he told the older man, in his stiffest, most forced voice. "There's a lot of scary stuff going on with it right now."

Angeal showed no surprise at his findings. "Yeah it is," he said, resigned to his fate. "I have a condition like cancer. I'm dying."

 _"Were,_ aren't now. Now, you're gonna live," the pint-sized can of whoop-ass shot back, and dug his fingers savagely into his friend's cheek. He pinched a piece of rotted, paper thin skin between his fingertips and tugged, pulling it away from the shocked 1st Sergeant's face. Angeal's eyes bugged out as the strip of skin he'd grabbed peeled into his hand in one big, three-inch long sized ribbon; the strand of dead skin looked absolutely disgusting with its appearance conjuring to mind the mental image of a decomposing leaf covered with dried out-silicon. "The water," he continued, smiling triumphantly as the repulsive swatch of skin was picked up by a current and blown away, "is _stabilizing_ your condition. It's killing off the crap in your body and making you shed off all that icky dry stuff. I wish I had a mirror to show you. There's some nice new skin coming in under all the dead shit. If I were you, I'd go back outside and finish getting my spa treatment. You want to get rid of your degradation, don't you?"

"Yes, I do," Angeal stammered, his face lighting up with an unidentifiable emotion. His breath caught loudly on the wind as he clumsily reached up to touch the spot where the brat had torn his skin off. He was unable to feel anything without receptors in his clunky, biomechanical hands, but was too shaken by what the brat had revealed to him to care. He ran his mutated fingertips over his mummified chin and cheekbones as his eyes puffed up and reddened. _Gratitudedisbeliefhappiness_ raced through him, like light speed, and for the 1st time in years, he felt hope. The force of what he was feeling was so strong, that he sat there, completely overwhelmed by this maelstrom of emotions. Now, he knew that he would live long enough to finish the business he had with Jenova and Hojo. The Planet had given him his life back.

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying hard to return to a state of calm. He was looking ahead now, thinking about how he'd spend his life after this Jenova mess was all cleared up. Against the backdrop of his mind he saw his friends and his mother, all safe and well. His gaze returned to the corner, where Zack was lying on the ground like road-kill, and he suddenly found himself longing for a future that would involve him mentoring the boy, and finishing the Puppy's training. His dreams were gone now, with his descent into monstrosity and his faith in Shinra destroyed, but he could still give Zack what he wanted, and help the boy grow into the hero he'd always wanted to become. That is, if Zack would let him. He had no idea if Zack would want to continue fighting for people after this was all over, and it remained to be seen if Zack would trust him again after everything that had happened in the past.

He crouched on the tunnel floor for a few more minutes, needing additional time to wrap his head around the chance he'd been given, and pull himself together. Kadaj stood quietly by his side, waiting for him to wake up and see that the Planet was doing this for him alone, and had no intention of curing Genesis' degradation. Genesis, as far as the Planet was concerned, could rot, die and go to hell. Gaia had no need for the commander, now that she had a fiercely loyal knight who saw the world in shades of black and white fighting for her. By coming here to retrieve Zack, Angeal had caused Genesis to lose an ally who could've saved him. What would Angeal think, the young Sephiroth clone wondered, when he learned that his well-intentioned actions had doomed his friend?

"'All that awaits you is a somber morrow, no matter where the winds may blow,'" the boy whispered bitterly, voice oozing with pure, un-adulterated loathing for the cruel, cold Planet.

Angeal got up, his heart palpitating and beating wildly with joyful noise. "What did you say?" he entreated softly, sounding unburdened and full of optimism. He slid forward with a lightness in his eyes and a glow about him that made Kadaj feel like he was being gutted by Omnislash 5 all over again.

"I _said_ , quit being a dumb-ass and finish taking your shower. At this rate, the only thing that's gonna get cured is that big scaly butt of yours pokin' out of the tunnel," the demon-child hollered back, losing his nerve to break the bad news. It would be beyond cruel, he realized, to choose this moment to tell Penance that the Planet has chosen him over Genesis and give the man survivor's guilt. It would be better to wait until Angeal was rested and ready to hear more horror.

"Yeah, I'll go do that. Hold on, I'll be right back," Angeal murmured, embarrassed that he was standing there like an idiot. That was an idiotic thing to do.

He slid out of the narrow entrance, ass-backwards, and hurried into the big cavern. He dashed into the center, where the spray was the strongest, and a small pond of water was forming. Great Gospel assaulted him, raining down on him so heavily that everything around him became one gray, water-filled blur. Sharp, disconcerting burning sensations spread throughout him as the Lifestream seeped into his pores, re-activating cells that the Jenova poison had shutdown. His ravaged body went into overdrive, repairing the damage that had been done to him, and the itching in his skin grew intensity, becoming nearly unbearable. For a brief moment, he felt as though he was buried neck deep in an anthill, and being swarmed by thousands of angry insects. Then, joy and mad relief eclipsed the physical pain as it dawned on him how much better he felt. Gone was the ache in his bones. No longer would he have to worry about the annoying throb in his sides. He turned to the statue in the ceiling as the weariness that was oppressing him lifted off of him. The statue seemed to smile benevolently down at him as he lifted grateful gray eyes to it, feeling alert, rejuvenated and _whole_. He hastily whispered out some awkward sounding words of thanks, and Kadaj glared murderously at him from across the cavern for having the audacity to do what any decent person in his circumstances would do.

"Hey, Penance," the little devil bellowed, straining to be heard over the gurgle of falling-water, _"shaddup_. No one wants to listen to that Miss Manners crap. Send her a postcard if you want to thank her. Better yet, toughen up, and start acting like the big mean WEAPON you are. Tell that bitch to take that statue and shove it up her ass."

Angeal gave him a blank stare and continued taking his shower. Kadaj wished he still had his Bahamut SIN materia on him, so he could sic a Summon on the honorable ignoramus and teach him a lesson. "You're gonna regret being so mean to me," the boy roared. "When I get outta this hell hole, I'm gonna steal one of those fancy Shinra tanks and run it over your big dumb car. I'll crush it into little itty bitty pieces and feed what's left of it to a Wyerd. That'll show you - "

"Show me what? Show me that you're good at destroying things? I have no doubt that you are. If you're anything like Sephiroth, there's not much that could stand up to you. Especially, not my jeep." Angeal said suddenly, surprising Kadaj as his voice took on an unexpectedly dry edge. If Kadaj wanted to get rid of the pride and honor mobile, he could go ahead and do it, he didn't care. He would just buy the van he'd always wanted in its stead, and cover the new car with fresh bumper stickers. And this time, he promised the horrified spirits in the Lifestream, they wouldn't be "embrace your dreams" bumper stickers. He was burned out on dreams, pride and honor, and was going to be a bit less enthusiastic about them from now. "Have at it if you want."

 _Thank... someone other than the Planet._ Kadaj's face lit up at his cynical-sounding comment. A diabolical smile graced the intolerable child's face. _This_ was a side of Angeal, the boy snickered, that he could grow to like. Now that Angeal wasn't moping about being a monster or jumping all over him for using bad language, maybe they could do fun things together. Like hunt down the resident scientist's soul and make it bleed spirit energy. He was pretty sure that he could convince Angeal to get behind torturing the ghost of the man who'd killed him.

"Your Puppy's going to think that you've been replaced by a pod person when he hears the new you talking," the brat giggled, flopping down against Zack and using the poor Puppy's stomach as a cushion. "He'll pull a sword on you, and demand to know what you did with his teacher. 'Where's Angeal? Tell me where you dumped him!' he's gonna rage. It'll be so hilarious. I hope that I'm around to hear it."

Angeal released a long, held in breath. The Puppy remained a touchy subject for him and he did not appreciate Kadaj treating his apprentice like he was a pillow. "I think that Zack will be too happy to be home to worry about what's going on with me. How's he doing in there - " - his voice broke off as he heard a loud tearing sound. Like that of clothes being ripped apart.

He slanted a glance over his shoulder to locate the cause of the sound and found himself looking at a truly disgusting sight.

The black and silver scales on his sides were peeling away, exposing the raw, chicken colored skin beneath the large biomechanical plates to the cold, stinging air. And the moist, pussing flesh was grotesquely loosening around his big bones, making it look as though he was wearing a suit of hamburger meat several sizes too large for him. His mouth fell open as viscous black fluid began to ooze out of tears in the protective yellow film covering his skin. He swallowed past the knot of fear in his throat as the repulsive liquid dribbled down his flank, reminding himself that the Planet was on his side, and wasn't going to let any harm come to him. His destruction was not imminent, even though it appeared that he was falling apart. This, he reassured himself, was just part of the purification-process, and when it was over, he would be fully cured of his terrible illness.

No, Angeal corrected himself, comprehension dawning on him as he prepared to settle in for a very tedious and very messy ordeal. He wouldn't _just_ get his cure. He would become his old self again as well. He wasn't, he now saw, just being purified, he was _shedding_ his skin and getting rid of his monstrous exterior. The Planet, he realized, was helping him out and was burning away what it could of the beast, while still letting him retain its power and memories. The monsters he'd merged with were being crippled so they wouldn't be able to challenge him for control over their shared body. Never again would he have to fight with the Sahagin and its crazy little friends. And once he'd changed back he no longer would have to worry about waking up in Midgar wearing Penance's horrific-looking face. He would return to his friends as a human WEAPON - not an evil-looking creature from a movie.

He lowered himself to the ground, rationalizing that it would be easier to go through the process sitting down. He did not want to stand there, fighting to "hold his pants up" with ice cold water pelting him and getting in his eyes. The awkward movement caused something to crack behind him, and this time it sounded like something inside of him. A tremor zipped down the length of his spine as he swiveled around and saw that the loathsome blue tails Kadaj was fond of pulling were breaking away from the rest of his body. Before he could talk himself out of it, he reached out, grabbed the hideous withered things in his hands, and gave them a powerful, bone breaking twist. To his amazement, they came loose in his hands without any pain. He gaped at them, stupefied. He had expected ripping them out to hurt like hell.

He hurled the writhing tails across the cavern so he wouldn't have to look at them and curled up in a ball on the slimy cavern floor, letting the Planet work its magic on him. Clumps of feathers and shaggy black hair floated past him as he lay there, and scales continued to flake off him. The mechanical arms hanging from his sides began to creek and squeak, and out of the periphery of his vision, he saw the ghastly little face in his stomach go into its death throes. He pressed his cheek against the limestone wall of the cavern as its blue flesh turned into fermented prune juice, ambivalent about its destruction; he hated seeing it suffer, but it was very hard to feel sorry for it when even now, the Ahriman it was a part of continued to want to fight him.

Hope once again stirred within him as the bones attaching his vertebral column to the Beast's disintegrated. His frostbit body leapt to life with excitement as he felt his back separate from Penance's. The bony structure fusing him to the monster's pelvis gave way next, and he was beyond thrilled when after that, the ugly robot arms popped out of their sockets and clattered to the cavern floor. The ugly black and white wing also spilled onto the floor in a spray of blood. With a ragged, relieved gasp, he pitched forward onto his stomach, tearing the rubbery, umbilical cord-like tubes connecting his waist to the abomination's front legs. He fell face down in a pool of water, and nearly pulled his back out in his haste to lift his neck and head out of the puddle. Like a serpent, he slithered forward on his belly, pushing himself out of the Beast's cumbersome, reeking carcass. There was a wet popping sound, like that of a dolphin giving birth underwater, and then - all of a sudden - he was **_free._**

He clambered unsteadily to his feet, his muscles throbbing and his skin prickling from the cold. The breath inside his throat burned. His human hands became un-paralyzed, at that very moment, and he pulled them away from his shoulders with great effort; after over an hour of having them locked in one place, they had fallen asleep from disuse. He flexed his fingers a few times to get them going again, and then started plodding towards the tunnel in a daze, his mind feeling as though it was mired in fog. The ever charming brat greeted him at the entrance and gave him some of that legendary Remnant hospitality.

"Well, that sure sucked," Kadaj commented. "I'm glad I didn't have to go through that. Sucks to be you, Uncle Angeal."

"If you hadn't tricked me into letting those monsters out, I wouldn't have had to go through that," Angeal reminded the brat, hurrying to his apprentice's side. He checked to make sure that the boy wasn't in any pain, and then collapsed against the tunnel wall. He sat there like one who has run a marathon, recovering his bearings and regaining his strength. The life blood of the Planet coursed through his veins as he leaned against the rocks, purifying his tainted blood, and elevating his senses. His awareness expanded, the way it had done so back at the Church when Aeris had placed her hands upon his forehead, and he felt the consciousness of every being around him.

The Lifestream was changing him, bringing him closer to the Planet.

His heartbeat accelerated, shifting into turbo mode, as a wail came through to him: familiar, high-pitched and keening. The cry was followed by the sound of breaking glass, and that sound stung him, like salt being poured into an open wound, because it was the sound of his Puppy's heart breaking.

He slid Zack's head into his lap and stripped off his soggy leather gloves. He gently stroked the half-conscious boy's bangs with his frostbitten fingertips, whispering soothing words into his young companion's ear. Zack returned his embrace, leaning into his palm like a cat attempting to smush its face against its owner, and whimpered like a wounded animal.

The monsters in his body wormed their way into his mind as the Puppy sobbed against him, and he was surprised to find that they harbored no hostility towards Zack. Now they could no longer control him and make him do bad things to people, they seemed to have made watching over Zack their new life's purpose. He reluctantly let the foul things remain where they were, and the WEAPON inside him welcomed the A-hound's fierce, unwavering loyalty, the griffon's willingness to fight to the death to defend its young, and the Ahriman's possessiveness. He pressed the Puppy tightly against his chest as their thoughts and emotions blurred together with his, wishing that he could make the boy's fears and sorrows pass away.

"We need to leave," he declared suddenly, his jaw tightening. "He's still climbing the walls, even with me here. He needs to be with his friends. How do we get out of this place, how do we go home?"

"You think I would know? I'm a con artist, not an escape artist. You're asking the wrong person!"Kadaj's blood ran cold at the question.

The little sociopath softly sighed, knowing that "we" wasn't going to include "him" this time - the Planet would burn him to ashes if he tried to follow his new buddies through the Whirlwind Maze - Sephiroth remained his only hope of revival. He let long, moon-colored strands of hair fall across his face, so Angeal and Zack wouldn't see the anguish and the longing in his eyes. The pain his new friends were causing him, however, remained clearly palpable in his taut, angry little expression, and the Lifestream betrayed what he was feeling to Angeal. His hurt and jealousy resonated as loudly as the sound of Zack's heart cracking.

"You could, I guess," he said helplessly, "try going back into the shrine. The big cave seems to be where the bitch goddess is doing all of her magic. Maybe she'll open up a portal for you or something. Doesn't hurt to try it."

"No, it doesn't, it's worth a try," agreed Angeal, peering back out into the cave. "It looks like something's going on in there right now anyway."

He scooped Zack up in his arms and hobbled over to the cavern mouth. The short trip was much more painful than he would've wanted it to be with his freezing fingers and toes locking up and his apprentice squirming about; his Puppy was acting like an insomniac, tossing and turning _._ He settled a reassuring hand on the teenager's forehead when the boy's booted foot slammed into his ribcage - hard enough to bruise him. God, Zack could kick. Worse than a toddler. He hated to imagine what Zack boy must've been like when he was two.

"It'll be okay, Pup," he whispered. "We're not going back into your memories. We're going to find your friends."

Zack calmed down and Angeal re-directed his attention to what had caught his eye earlier.

Something amazing was going on out in the cavern. The materia at the feet of the goddess statue were glowing, heating up like iron tools being warmed inside a forge. Blue light was leaping up from their spherical forms and aurora-borealis colored streaks of flame were swirling about them. The air around them was stirring ominously, and the ice cold water trickling down their sides was turning to cooking water. Steam was rising off them and _images_ were moving across their glass like surfaces; faces and places were emerging from the mist. Angeal's chest heaved as the Church reappeared before him in the center of the smoking orbs; home had never felt so close, and yet so far away. He stared into the shining things, watching Cloud pace anxiously about the pews, and the Ancient make another attempt to wake him and Zack. He saw the Church clock behind their comatose bodies, and was amazed that the Turks weren't banging down the doors to check on Aeris. It was getting to be ridiculously late back in Midgar.

"Nearly 9 PM," he denied, putting Zack down and coming out of the tunnel. He went directly up to the statue, his heart telling him that the magic happening up above him would provide him with a clue on how to get home. He bowed his head when he was beneath the beautiful woman, and his wing sprang from his shoulder - thick, glossy and white as the snow-covered slopes of Modeoheim. He launched himself off the ground, letting the monster inside of him takeover and guide him. The cavern floor shrank as he clumsily frog-kicked his way through the air towards the goddess statue. It took an amazing amount of concentration and all of his self-discipline to stay airborne long enough to grope through the cluster of roots and scoop up one of the materia. He seized the smallest one, and then plummeted back to earth, landing unceremoniously on top of the reeking skin he'd shed earlier. Kadaj laughed mercilessly at him as he shot out of the pool the Beast's remains were in, moving faster than someone caught in the act with their best friend's wife. "Ha, ha, ha, that's what you get for going to check out the goddess," the boy cackled. "You sank like an anchor. You're sad."

"I'll get better with practice, I'm sure," Angeal defensively said. "Instead of mocking me, why don't you help me figure out what this thing is, and what I'm supposed to do with it?"

Kadaj crossed his arms. "It's called goddess materia, you foolish fan boy. And your Puppy used this stuff in his past-life to open up a portal. The portal, by the way, took him to another goddess shrine, it didn't zap him back home to his girlfriend like he wanted."

 _Nevertheless, it got him out of the tight spot he was in! "_ Maybe this one'll do the same thing for me?" Angeal dared to hope.

He brought the materia up to his face, squinting like a near-sighted Siamese cat. The images creeping across it grew crisper as he inspected it, and the light emanating from it intensified, going from a soft aquamarine color to a frightening shade of night blue. Flames shot out of the orb as everything darkened, whipping around and lashing about menacingly. Wingtip shaped trails of fire arced high into the air, and glowing particles exploded out of the streams. The materia began to shake and jitter as particles and flame soared over his head, and he heard an ominous shattering sound. He rolled the orb over and found himself looking into a deep, inch long fissure. The combination of heat, water and magic was causing the materia to crack like glass.

Everything around him started to warp as mako dust bled out of the gouge and floated away in the wind. The WEAPONs and their mako chrysalises fell to the ground, as everything grew grey and fuzzy, and the shimmering walls separating him from them were thrown down. The roots over his head receded back into the cliffs and the flowers that Aeris had lovingly planted here, life-times ago, shriveled up and died. Dizzying shades of blue and eye burning shades of green filled his vision as debris came loose and the Lifestream undulated into the cave, snaking around falling branches. He crushed Zack against his chest and covered the boy with his wing as they were engulfed in subzero emerald currents.

"What's going on?" he shouted over the wuthering of the wind. "Are we going home now?"

"You and Zack are, not _me!"_ Kadaj hollered back at his friend, his voice possessing none of its usual fire. He sounded as though he was suffocating and being eaten up inside. He slumped against the tunnel wall, looking desperate, pliant and lost in the terrible emotion that he was feeling. "I'll be annihilated if I go into that cave with you. I'm going to stay here and _rot_ like a piece of road kill."

 _No! Don't say that!_ Angeal's heart lurched at those chilling words. He could not imagine his young friend spending another night languishing in the Whirlwind Maze with the WEAPONs, nor could he imagine letting another child down. "Take my hand and don't let go. Maybe you'll get pulled back with me. If this doesn't work, I promise that I'll tell Sephiroth about you, like we originally planned, and he'll revive you. One way or another, we'll find a way to bring you home," he told the boy, reaching into the tunnel, and seizing the little sociopath by the arm.

He tightened his hold on the startled child, locking the terror's wrist in a death grip. The desire to protect in him rose to the point where it was nearly overwhelming as Kadaj gazed back at him with dreadful, muted grief. His soul cried out in agony as the child withdrew into his own mind, unable to cope with what he was doing. The boy's eyes leaked resignation and bled despair. The 1st felt a sudden burst of sorrow. Maybe it would've been best if he'd kept his mouth shut, and not said anything to Kadaj.

"Kadaj," he started. "Are you -"

"Am I gonna be able to endure a few more weeks here in hell, waiting for you to get your asses down to Nibelheim and revive me? Suuure, why not? I'm a survivor." Kadaj replied, his face devastated and his eyes veiled. He seemed confused and forlorn as the world outside his tunnel changed, transforming into a room full of beauty and warmth. Bitter tears trickled down his cheeks as weathered boulders shifted into cushioned pews, rotting roots metamorphosized into elegant columns and arches, and mako walls turned into glowing stained glass panels. Grief choked at him, strangling the profanities in his throat, as a flooded flower bed solidified in front of him, and the scent of primroses and forget-me-nots filled the air. He put out his hand towards Aeris as she materialized, magically emerging from the rippling curtain of white light hanging over the flower bed. And then, when she turned in their direction, he dug his fingers wildly into Angeal's hand. _It's her, it's her,_ he clamored excitedly, longing to dash into the Land of the Living, throw his arms around her neck and hug her forever. _It's..._

Two unconscious bodies materialized at that moment mere feet away from him; one had two exquisite white wings, the other was shirtless and wrapped up in a towel. His heart seized up. "It's...it's you. And Zack," he breathed, his eyes now darting between Aeris and their knocked out forms. "God, what did you guys do to the Puppy? Did you try to drown him? I thought you doted on dogs, Angeal. What the hell's wrong with you? Well, I guess this is good-bye now, eh? I don't have a body to go back to. My body's on the other continent. Sucks to be me. I knew I was gonna get screwed out of being revived."

"No, you're not!"Angeal sharply said, refusing yet to give up hope. If the Planet was capable of forgiving him, it had the capacity, he reasoned, to also forgive Kadaj. "Just keep holding onto me. I'll protect you."

He shut his eyes and went still, his heart telling him that he needed to repeat what he had done to enter the Lifestream in order to return to Midgar. A look of peace and tranquility came over him as he focused on all the good moments he'd had with his friends and entered a state of calm. Scenes from his life flit past him inside his head, flickering like ghosts. He floated through the miasma of memories, reliving his acceptance into the mentorship program, re-experiencing his 1st meeting with Zack and re-celebrating his Puppy's promotion to 1st Class. He heard Genesis laugh, his mother call out to him, and Sephiroth make a sarcastic comment about _LOVELESS,_ and wished with every ounce of his being that the Planet would send him home. His senses sharpened, like they'd done before, and he reached out with them, seeking his loved ones' presences. Like Alice in Wonderland, he ran down an unknown path in the abyss of his mind, hoping that he would find a back to the place where he belonged.

Eventually, he saw a light - blue, effervescent and widening - building up at the end of the road. Dark spots and white dots entered his vision as he staggered towards the expanding circle, and the world felt as if it was suddenly being rolled out from under him. He clung tightly to the two boys in his arms as everything turned black and consciousness faded away. He sank into oblivion, praying that they would all end up together when they woke up.

 


End file.
